Will a Harmonica-Playing Elephant Be the Next Big Blues Player?
Often when you think of elephants performing incredible stunts, you think of drawing, right? What else would they use their trunks for? This time around, a 36-year-old Asian elephant named Shanthi broke the mold with a talent all her own -- harmonica playing.
Shanti's keepers at the National Zoo in Washington noticed that the animal was naturally musical, always tapping things and flapping her ears in rhythmic drum-like motions. So they attached a harmonica to her pen to see if she'd take it. And she did.
Apparently her keepers don't even have to encourage Shanti to play the harmonica, but she reaches for it with her snout. We're hoping she'll be the next great blues player.