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Psychic Ferret, Pig Outlast Elephant In Euro Predictions

Updated

Citta, a 33-year-old female elephant, chooses a melon above a sign indicating a win for the Polish national team at the Krakow Zoo on June 6. She didn't do any better for Poland's second game, either.
Citta, a 33-year-old female elephant, chooses a melon above a sign indicating a win for the Polish national team at the Krakow Zoo on June 6. She didn't do any better for Poland's second game, either.
In the frantic race to be the top animal predicting results of the European soccer championship taking place in Poland and Ukraine, it appears one has clearly fallen off the pace.

While Funtik the pig in Kyiv had picked all the winners (he only missed the ties, for which he has no food bowl) and Fred the ferret was 50-50 for the June 13 games (picking Portugal and the Dutch to win), it appears Krakow's Citta the elephant is not cut out for international competition.

While Citta made her name correctly picking the winner of the European Champions League final in May, it seems she can't set her patriotic love for Poland aside when it comes to predicting how the national team will fare in Euro 2012. She has predicted wins for Poland against both Greece and Russia, each of which ended in 1-1 ties.

So will the third time be the charm, both for Citta and Poland? We'll see on Saturday.

(Latest update: Fred picks Italy and Ireland for tonight's games.)

Meanwhile, both Funtik and Fred have had some success, though neither is perfect. Before the June 13 games Fred had a slight lead, picking six of 10 to Funtik's five of 10. Not quite Paul the octopus, or even Pavlik, but not too bad.

But Fred certainly did his patriotic credentials no harm in correctly predicting underdog Ukraine's win over Sweden. Funtik may want to consider his future prospects should he continue to pick against Ukraine, however.

At a healthy 386 kilograms, Funtik's owners may just decide he's better suited for something besides prognostication...

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Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us at transmission+rferl.org

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