Toby the Penguin has become a star attraction at Ski Dubai during this year's Fifa World Cup.
The 13-year-old bird, "who loves to play football", has so far correctly predicted the outcome of five matches with prophetic precision, including the most unexpected results.
Toby correctly forecast a win for Saudi Arabia against Argentina on Tuesday and the following day he went for Japan before their shock win over Germany at Khalifa International Stadium.
Despite the penguin's five correct guesses, Toby’s handlers said some predictions have been off the mark — he chose Qatar to win against Ecuador and Iran against England.
Videos posted by Ski Dubai on its Instagram account on Thursday showed Toby being presented with two footballs each placed next to each other (no option for draws) and he chose Uruguay to win against South Korea, Portugal to come out on top against Ghana and Serbia to cause another tournament upset against Brazil.
"The penguin predictions have proved hugely popular with guests and social media followers," a Ski Dubai representative said.
"People can catch the penguin predictions on Vox Cinemas and Ski Dubai's social channels every day just after noon."
Toby joined the Ski Dubai penguin family in January 2014. His handlers say he is very inquisitive and feels most comfortable being close to his partner Gummy.
Toby is part of a breeding programme that started many years ago at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, where he has a number of siblings, as well as a sister, Polly, at Sealife London.
He is not the first creature to engage in predictions during football tournament finals. Back in 2008, Paul the Octopus rose to international fame for success in choosing winners in Euro 2008. Two years later, he correctly predicted the results of all that Germany matches as well as the final, in which Spain defeated the Netherlands.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
