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Forget Paul the octopus; Israeli lemur calls World Cup shots

Max, a red ruffed lemur, makes his predictions by eating out of a food box draped in a country's flag.
Tasty predictions by Max the lemur. (Oz Moalem/Yedioth Aharonot)

Max the red ruffed lemur makes World Cup predictions at the Ramat Gan Safari. (Oz Moalem/Yedioth Aharonot)
Max the red ruffed lemur makes World Cup predictions at the Ramat Gan Safari. (Oz Moalem/Yedioth Aharonot)
While many sports fans were shocked that defending champion Spain were knocked out of the World Cup 2014 so soon, a red ruffed lemur at the Zoological Center Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan could have warned them not to expect success.
Max the lemur is serving as Israel’s ‘Paul the octopus’ in this year’s World Cup predictor role. The German eight-armed cephalopod, that has since died, wowed 2010 World Cup followers after correctly forecasting the outcome of eight matches.
The Safari staff chose Max because of his friendly and inquisitive nature.
Max makes his predictions by choosing a food box. There are three options: two with team flags, one with ‘tie/draw’ written on it.

Max is following in the footsteps of yet another forecasting animal – the Safari’s giraffe, Dovale, correctly guessed 18 of 31 games in the 2012 UEFA European Championship.

Tasty predictions by Max the lemur. (Oz Moalem/Yedioth Aharonot)
Tasty predictions by Max the lemur. (Oz Moalem/Yedioth Aharonot)