Obano “persists and signs”: the prediction giraffe from the Branféré animal park (Morbihan) on Thursday chose France as the winner of the match against Italy at the Rugby World Cup, still eating the “slushie” on the blue/white/red side.
“We are on an identical setup, and we change the flags, there is no influence at our level. Obano persists and signs, he went once again on the slip with the flag of France,” rejoiced Hélène Perraud, communications manager for the animal park.
This is the fourth time in four predictions for Les Bleus matches that Obano has chosen to eat his ration of slip, a mixture of soy and oatmeal, on the side of the French flag.
The male giraffe, which measures almost six meters and is 18 years old, then devoured the slip of the other tricolor flag, but in green white red colors.
“The slip that we use to make predictions is also used when we do training sessions to be able to take a blood test or be able to treat the hooves. For the giraffe it’s a day like any other, except that instead of putting a pile of slush, we put two,” Alexandre Petry, scientific zoological director of the park, which welcomes some 300,000 annually visitors and which shelters 1,500 animals on 45 hectares.
“The giraffe hesitated, like every time,” he said.
Fabien Galthié’s men play a decisive match Friday evening in Lyon against the Italians to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup, in Group A.
For the animal park, this little game of animal predictions, which receives a strong media response, also allows us to discuss the issues of giraffe conservation. “Giraffes are threatened, there are only 60,000 left in Africa, that’s not many,” recalled Mr. Petry.