WC soccer Octopus receives death threats

[Arslan]

WC soccer Octopus receives death threats

JOHANNESBURG: He was once the most popular sea-creature in Germany. But since that nation's loss yesterday, a psychic octopus has received death threats from angry soccer fans.

Paul, or as he's referred to in Germany, Das Krakenorakel, has incurred the wrath of a nation by correctly predicting that Spain would defeat Germany in the World Cup semi-final.

Octopus handler Daniel Fey reports that: "People send us recipes in threats." And German newspapers report angry crowds converging in Berlin after the game, chanting anti-octopus songs.

How they came to know the lyrics to any anti-octopus songs is not immediately clear. But, according to a spokeswoman for Sea Life Aquariums, Paul's home, "he has very good people looking after him". Fey adds, "He's definitely safe."

Paul is as beloved in Spain as he is reviled in Germany. "Pulpo Paul", Spanish for Paul the Octopus, is a Twitter trending topic. And at least one restaurant in Spain has removed octopus from its menu, in honor of the prognosticating sea critter.

He'll next be called into action to predict a winner of Saturday's runner-up match between Germany and Uruguay, then the final between the Netherlands and Spain.