Koshik The Elephant Can 'Speak' Korean Out Loud, Scientists Say
Posted: 11/01/2012 4:16 pm EDT Updated: 11/02/2012 11:46 am EDT
By: Charles Choi, LiveScience Contributor
Published: 11/01/2012 12:09 PM EDT on LiveScience

video

A zoo elephant in South Korea, can speak Korean out loud, researchers say. The pachyderm is capable of saying "hello," "good," "no," "sit down" and "lie down" — all by using its trunk to do the work of lips in a process scientists don’t fully understand.

The elephant likely does not understand the actual meaning of what he says, researchers said.

Past reports have suggested both African and Asian elephants were capable of vocal mimicry like parrots. African elephants have been known to imitate the sound of truck engines, and a male Asian elephant living in a Kazakhstan zoo was said to utter sounds resembling Russian and Kazakh, but that case was never investigated scientifically.

Scientists investigating an Asian elephant known as Koshik say the beast can imitate human speech, pronouncing words in Korean, and those who know the language can readily understand Koshik. He accomplished this in a very unusual way — using his trunk stuck inside his mouth. [Watch Koshik Speak Korean

Elephants cannot use their lips to make sounds like humans do, since their upper lips are fused with their noses to form their trunks. Instead, Koshik somehow controls the sounds coming from him by moving his trunk inside his throat.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/koshik...orean_n_2058441.html

no idea y that link isnt clickable *thinks*

Elephants are absolutely amazing animals. I'll bet he does understand what he's saying.

StarsChildren wrote:
Try this one

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49643352/ns/technol...and_science-science/

I agree elephants are incredible, i personally see them as well as whales as sort of creators.
Back to mimicry; I was brought up and worked professionally with horses both here and abroad. I discovered a noise a very high sounding noise that you can make with your lips, and air inhalation that can get any stubborn or wilful horse/pony to come very often cantering but in some cases walking, straight up to you, allowing you to pop halter on. I tried it out on moorland ponies, racehorses, you name it. Where bucket's of food fail, this noise never does. I haven't a clue what this noise means to them, but they sure love me, when i do it.

Gilly wrote:
That elephant just painted a picture of an elephant!

Is that for real...or has it just been 'trained'?

You must be the horse whistler!

We Have all seen this

diamondgeezer wrote:
There's loads of painting elephant vids.



www.elephantart.com/catalog/thailand.php

They teach them to do it. It was some kind of elephant rescue place in Thailand where it started - someone just gave some elephants brushes & paint, and realised they had a natural ability, so some training was given to improve their skills, & they seemed to enjoy doing it.

They could charge the public an entrance fee, I think, to come & watch them doing it, & sell the paintings to fund the facility.

D'oh, I want to listen to the beasties, but my sound's just packed in - it comes & goes randomly.

I remember reading an article in a tabloid years back about some chimps that had been taught sign language. They were ace! One of the trainers said that when one of the chimps was looking pensive, he signed to ask what it up, & it replied, "Nothing. I was just thinking about having a banana."

I wish I was Dr Doolittle, I'd love to chat with animals.

StarsChildren wrote: I tried to quote the OP and there were no url wraps on the link.
Buuuut Huffpo appear to have moved the story anyhoo so that link now results in a 404.

new location ....
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/koshik-elephant-korean_n_2058441.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2183579...rtbreaking-film.html
This is Koko Talking Gorilla

If i start talking to my cats they always talk back (miaow) they look at me just like you do when your having a convo with a person, our convo's go on and on, I'm sure it's just interaction without either of us getting words, but know the vibe we both talk of.

MrsGood wrote:
One of my dogs does that, and if you stop when he's expecting an 'answer', he digs at you with his paw to prompt you.

MrsGood wrote: Same with my dog.
I don't think we give animals near enough credit.

My dog also goes mental when this vid gets played.



I think they're maybe a couple of members of the KKK (Klued Katz Klan) badmouthing him and his dawgs.

@ Gilly yeah, they try tricks to keep the convo going like latching onto my socks when i try to move, bombing infront of me so there where ever i'm going first, or batting me with their paw when i walk past.
@ feather yeah totaly they must be speaking of dog domination

This is What This Sheep Thinks Of Mikey's Posts

feather wrote: