An adorable otter in Japan accurately predicted the country’s 2-1 victory against Germany at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 8-year-old river otter named Taiyo at the Maxell Aqua Park in Shinagawa, Tokyo, was brought out by his handler to predict a winner in the match between Japan and Germany, Kyodo News reported. Carrying a mini soccer ball with his paws, Taiyo had to choose between a blue bucket with the Japanese flag on it, a red one with the German flag and a yellow bucket labeled “draw.”
The otter chose to drop the ball in Japan’s bucket, and the next day, the country defeated the four-time World Cup champions 2-1.Japanese soccer fans praised Taiyo for his foresight, according to The Mainichi. Some fans took to Twitter to express their joy over the oracle otter.
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Japan previously brought out an otter to predict a World Cup match against Greece in 2014. While Chippu the otter in Himeji chose the latter country to win, the game ended in a tie. Although fans hoped the otter would make another prediction as Japan faces off against Costa Rica on Nov. 27, Taiyo’s handlers said he will no longer be making any future predictions.
The otter will instead perform at the aquarium until Dec. 25.