Elephant imitating human language

On September 7, employees at Everland Amusement Park in Yongin (South Korea) said Kosik, a 16-year-old Asian elephant settled here, could emit sounds similar to 8 words of Korea such as " sitting ", " no ", " yes " and " lying down ".

Images broadcast by South Korean TV station SBS show that this elephant produces human-like sounds by inserting a tap into his mouth and shaking it while letting out a sound, like the way people give their fingers into the mouth to whistle.

But Everland Park said it was unclear whether Kosik understood the meaning of those sounds.

Kim Jong Gap, who keeps Kosik for 10 years, said he heard the elephant say two years ago. According to the zoo's veterinarian, the elephant seems to have created a bond with his trainer, imitating his words.

Studies have shown that elephants can mimic sounds, but Kosik's claims park is the first elephant to demonstrate the ability to imitate human language.

Kosik elephant is " talking " with Mr. Kim Jong Gap
(Photo: hani.co.kr)

Spectral images show the frequency of Kosik's voice when it emits a human voice that is very similar to the frequency of its trainer, with an accuracy of 94%. The park planned to do more research to see if Kosik understood the meaning of the words he said.

On September 8, Kosik began performing his abilities in public.

In a study published in the 2005 "Nature" magazine, researchers found that elephants could learn to imitate sounds, which in the case has been proven to be an imitation elephant. sound of truck.

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