14 replies to this topic

[Still Waters]

Cases of mammals being able to make human-like sounds are extremely rare, because even close animal relatives like chimpanzees do not have enough vocal control to match our pitch and tone.

But Koshik overcame sizeable anatomical hurdles – the fact that elephants have no lips, for instance – to mimic human sounds by placing his trunk in his mouth and massaging his vocal tract into a different shape.

The unusual technique, which has never before been seen in animals, allows him to imitate human word sounds and match the pitch of his trainers' voices despite being much larger, and having a longer vocal tract and bigger larynx.

http://www.telegraph...aks-Korean.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-20142858

Edited by Still Waters, 01 November 2012 - 04:31 PM.
Additional source link added

[Mantis914]

When and if he ever says, "안녕하세요!!"  I will fall out of this chair...

[Hilander]

The animals are learning and they are going to take over.

[Karlis]

Here is >another article concerning this story.

An Elephant That Speaks Korean
ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2012) — An Asian elephant named Koshik can imitate human speech, speaking words in Korean that can be readily understood by those who know the language. The elephant accomplishes this in a most unusual way: he vocalizes with his trunk in his mouth.

[Salami Swami]

Hilander, on 02 November 2012 - 12:08 AM, said:

The animals are learning and they are going to take over.

Hopefuly not take over, imagine animals learning to talk like humans.
Animal concious shift or evolution out of necesity? Would be cool

[pallidin]

I truly wish my dog could talk to me in English.
Or "laugh" when I tickle it's belly.

[Bling]

Brilliant! May elephants take over the earth!

[highdesert50]

Amusing how a "dumb" animal can communicate in a complex human language and how few "intelligent" humans can communicate in "elephant" or any other non-human communication medium.

[little_dreamer]

OK, time to teach him "Gangnam Style"!   He's got to learn the dance step as well!

[EllJay]

Still Waters, on 01 November 2012 - 04:15 PM, said:

Cases of mammals being able to make human-like sounds are extremely rare, because even close animal relatives like chimpanzees do not have enough vocal control to match our pitch and tone.

Nice. Didn't we have a "talking" whale just a while ago?

EDIT: Found the link. He is pretty chatty as well. He even blows heart-shaped bubbles   >> http://www.dailymail...act-humans.html






Listen to this>>





He might sound a bit like this right now, but with a good speech therapist we might get a conversation going soon. >>

[Missi NuNu]

Mantis914, on 01 November 2012 - 08:53 PM, said:

When and if he ever says, "안녕하세요!!"  I will fall out of this chair...

Agreed.

[SUPERSquatch]

I'm going to ask him if he can sing Gangnam Style.

[Crosswings]

@Taylor-Reints That will probably never happen. If it does then gosh, I wouldn't know what to say!

[Crosswings]

@Taylor-Reints That will probably never happen. If it does then gosh, I wouldn't know what to say!

[leupgaru]

anyangasayo, anyangasayoka, kamsamida. did i spell it right or the elephant spells it better ?! >"