You're reading: Euro 2012 blog: Ukraine’s pig is best oracle so far

He has tough competition: a couple of elephants in Poland and Russia, a German cow, a polecat in Kharkiv and multiple bookmakers all over the world. They’re all trying to predict the results of Euro 2012 games.

But Kyiv’s hog Funtik has so far been the most accurate oracle of them all.

His success rate is 66 percent after he got the wins for Germany, Russia, Denmark and Croatia right. He misread the future when Poland was playing Greece, and Italy was playing Spain, and both ended with a draw.

Ukraine’s fans won’t be happy to know Funtik’s prediction for tonight. He said his native team will lose to Sweden.

Despite being a beginner at predicting games (he was picked to replace the famous Paul, the German octopus, now late), he turned out to be better at it than William Hill, the world’s biggest bookmaker.

The latter was only right on the wins of Denmark and Gemany, and the draw between Poland and Greece.

Funtik makes "predictions" for the Euro 2012 soccer match eating from a bowl placed near the national flag of Russia, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, June 8, 2012. (AP)

“He is just the best. He is calm and cool-headed,” explains Ivan, his caretaker and guard. He is too shy to give his last name.

Funtik was brought to Kyiv on June 8 and with much fanfare he was placed in the fan zone Khreschatyk. He has had so much attention from the fans that he often just turns his head away from the crowd in a pitiful gesture.

Funtik is just three years old, but weighs 386 kilos. He had a reputation even before arriving to Kyiv for accurate predictions of results of local matches in his home in Zhytomyr Oblast.

The actual method of making predictions is the same for all competing animal oracles: they are offered two plates of their favorite food, with flags of both contenders attached. The one the animal picks is supposed to become the winner.

If the oracle refuses to touch either of them, that means a draw.

Kyiv Post staff writer Anastasia Forina can be reached at [email protected]