The Elephant Who Speaks Korean
In a Korean zoo, an elephant puts his trunk in his mouth and says words in Korean: hello, sit down, no, lie down, good.
What was reported
Koshik is an Asian elephant at the Everland theme park near Seoul. His keepers noticed he seemed to be imitating their speech, and visitors could understand him.
In 2012, scientists confirmed that he says at least five Korean words, among them annyeong (hello), anja (sit down), aniya (no), nuo (lie down) and choah (good). He makes the sounds by putting the tip of his trunk in his mouth to change their shape.
Explanations offered
Koshik was the only elephant at the park for years during his youth, and scientists think he learned to imitate the voices of his keepers to bond with them. He doesn't seem to understand the words' meanings.
- When
- Since the 2000s
- Where
- Everland, Yongin, South Korea
- Witnesses
- Zookeepers, visitors and scientists
- Status
- Confirmed
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