An elephant is drawing attention for a unique talent among pachyderms: the ability to speak Korean. The amusement park Everland in the southern Seoul suburb of Yongin says a 16-year-old Asian elephant named Kosik can make sounds resembling Korean words.
Kosik, a 16-year-old Asian elephant./Yonhap
Kosik makes the sounds by putting his trunk in his mouth and shaking it as he exhales, much in the way people whistle with their fingers in their mouths. The ten words he can ¡°say¡± include "sit," "no," "yes" and "lie down." The park says it is unclear if Kosik knows the meaning of the words but promises to conduct further studies with veterinarians and scientists.
