Paul – the Football World Cup 2010 Phenomenon Passes Away

Here’s again another news that stirred up sparks again across the world. Paul – the Football World Cup 2010 hero died on October 26, 2010. He was around 2 years and 6 months old. Sad news indeed, although he lived his whole life!

"Management and staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre were devastated to discover that oracle octopus Paul, who achieved global renown during the recent World Cup, had passed away overnight," the aquarium said in a statement. Paul died in sleep, which means he probably had a painless death.

Very recently, during the Football World Cup 2010, Paul the octopus created a buzz across the web. The octopus, Paul was the first winner of 2010 Football World Cup as declares the before actually the match happened. The incidence of Paul’s revealing the winner beforehand had buzzed up the World Wide Web – especially the sports lovers’ community. Paul had attracted huge volume of fan base with his predictions. Octopus Paul predictions became true in every game of 2010 Football World Cup. Paul the Octopus was hatched on January 2008 in England and shifted to Germany. Paul predicts the winner of Germany’s seven football matches in 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Paul’s prediction had been correct throughout the tenure of Football World Cup, 2010, except two. Before the final happened he declared Spain as the winner of 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain had encountered with Germany – the home team of Paul. The result of the final match was apparent to the world; Germany lost against Spain. Germany turned out to be quite serious about the Paul’s predictions. Spain requested Germany for Paul, but Germany refused to give Paul to Spain. Finally Spain honored Paul the Octopus grandly in Germany.

It is certainly hard to ascertain the facts about Paul's life. However, he was believed to be born at Weymouth Sea Life Park in the year 2008. Of the genus Octopus vulgaris, there wasn’t anything vulgar about Paul as a young octopus. "He didn't show any special abilities while he was here for his eight weeks of quarantine, but that's probably because we didn't have a chance to give him the opportunity," senior aquarist Matthew Fuller told the BBC in a summer profile of Paul, while at the height of his fame.

"His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself," Stefan Porwoll, manager at Oberhausen. He also said, "We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine."

"He appears to have passed away peacefully during the night, of natural causes," said Oberhausen Sea Life manager Stefan Porwoll. "His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself... We had all naturally grown very fond of him and he will be sorely missed." Within two hours of his death, more than 250 messages of condolence were posted on Paul's "official" Facebook page. "Paul, we will never forget you. We love you," wrote one. One user of micro blogging site Twitter wrote: "Paul the octopus is dead. Bet he didn't see that coming."

Paul’s body is now in cold storage while Sea Life management decide how best to mark his passing, though it is thought he will be buried within the grounds and a permanent shrine erected.

Here are some of video clips related to Paul the Octopus: