Elephant oracle Tarak predicts outcome of Germany's second World Cup match

The Cologne Zoo has a new football oracle in Tarak, an elephant who is making predictions for Germany's matches in the World Cup. This four-and-a-half-ton pachyderm has already proven his predictive prowess by correctly forecasting the outcome of Germany's opening game against Curaçao just last week.

Zoo spokesperson Christoph explained that Tarak's predictions are based purely on instinct, with no special training involved. "He does it all based on intuition – or rather, his trunk. We haven't prepared him for this at all. We want everything to be as authentic as possible – that he just walks in and relies on his instincts. And that is the best strategy," Christoph said.

Tarak's successful prediction for the first match has generated considerable anticipation for his forecast of Germany's next game, which is against Ivory Coast. Fans and zoo staff are eager to see which ball the large animal will choose this time, indicating Germany or Ivory Coast.

While Tarak's predictions are a source of amusement and engagement, the zoo emphasizes that the primary goal is for everyone, including the elephant, to have a good time. For Tarak, participating in these predictions is simply part of his daily routine.

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He does it all based on intuition – or rather, his trunk. We haven't prepared him for this at all. We want everything to be as authentic as possible – that he just walks in and relies on his instincts. And that is the best strategy.