Euro 2020: Kent ferret predicts England will lose against Scotland tonight
11:36, 18 June 2021
updated: 16:41, 18 June 2021
A Kent ferret has predicted England will lose their second Euro 2020 match against Scotland tonight.
Fred the ferret, from the RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre in West Malling, has backed the underdog for the Three Lions' group stage match against the Scots at Wembley.
Fred the ferret predicts a shock win for Scotland against England at Euro 2020
The two-year-old rodent had two plates of food in front of him, one with an English flag underneath and the second with a Scottish one.
But without hesitation the lively polecat went straight for the blue and white flag in a blow to the England team as they prepare for the match, which kicks off at 8pm.
Based in Castle Way, the centre has already shown off some mystic mammals as Collie crossbreed Gem correctly predicted England to triumph over their World Cup rivals Croatia at the weekend.
The seven-year-old put the centre's guess rate at 100%, but lots of fans across England will be hoping Fred has got it wrong.
RSPCA small animals supervisor Sarah Clarkson explained the predictions were a fun way of trying to help the animals get rehomed.
She said: "Homing the animals has slowed down a bit since people have returned to work or have other priorities with things reopening.
"It's a fun and engaging way of promoting the animals and getting them the forever home they deserve.
"Fred is one of 11 ferrets we look after here and came in pending prosecution, but he's now paired up with Velma and Leigh-Anne.
"He's a playful boy and is quite young. He likes to interact with people and loves being picked up."
Gem the Collie crossbreed correctly predicted England's first game against Croatia
The pair join the likes of a mystic octopus, elephant, panda and kangaroo as some of the world's foreseeing powers.
Paul the octopus hit headlines in 2010 with his eerily accurate predictions during the World Cup in South Africa.
Throughout the tournament he achieved an 85% success rate and even prompted an Argentine chef to post an octopus recipe when he correctly predicted the Germans to knock them out.
However, Paul wasn't a match for Nelly the elephant whose accuracy and longevity trumped the eight-tentacled sea creature.
During the 2006 Women's World Cup, 2008 European Championships and 2010 World Cup she correctly kicked a giant inflatable ball into nets marked with a country 30 out of 33 times.
During Euro 2012 Kent's very own Mystic Mog Leon finished the tournament with a 90% success rate.
The Canterbury Tonkinese cat correctly backed Spain to win the final and earned his owner £120 over the course of the tournament as he backed his feline's guesses with a £5 bet.
One thing Fred the ferret and Gem will be hoping to predict is finding a forever home.
Both join a number of pets at the Leybourne Animal Centre who are still looking for their perfect match.
Find out more about them and other furry friends here.
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