They say an elephant never forgets, which speaks to their great intelligence, but did you know that elephants can also play musical instruments? Sure, they may need a little practice beforehand — I mean, who doesn’t, eh? — but the large mammals do have the knack to understand the rhythmic joys of banging a drum. Case in point: a video recently shared over on Reddit shows off an elephant learning to play a drum, and as expected, it’s incredibly cute.
In the 39-second footage, a drummer kneels close to an elephant enclosure and plays a beat on his drum. Surprisingly, however, the elephant shows great interest in the percussive instrument and reaches over to the drum with its trunk. Not only does the large mammal touch and feel the drum, but it also starts to tap it with a rhythmic beat. Add in some happy squeals of excitement, and you have a cute video showcasing the impressive ingenuity of animals.
Interestingly, elephants are known to communicate using seismic vibrations through their feet. Whether this is what may’ve spurred the moment of curiosity in the drumming or whether the elephant in question just wanted to have a quick jam with its new found friend is a little unclear.
Redditors quickly began commenting, with many expressing joy in the elephant’s shrills of excitement. One user chimed in, writing,
Those little squeals!!! 💚
pebberphp
Another netizen added,
That’s so adorable lol
my_screen_name_sucks
Elsewhere, a few Redditors were frustrated that the gentleman didn’t offer the elephant a chance to use the drumsticks, with one chiming in declaring,
She wants a stick! Give her a stick.
Souriane
While this may not be the start of a brand-new band featuring an elephant on drums — I know, that would be pretty cool, right? — it is a welcome reminder of how intelligent and empathetic the animal kingdom can be. Now, if only I can just get my guinea pig to play the piano, we may be onto something…
