News Animals

Big Mimics: African elephants can learn to copy sounds

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Two captive elephants—one making truck noises and the other chirping like a different elephant species—could be the first nonprimate, land mammals demonstrated to do vocal imitations.

KNOW YOUR IMITATIONS. The African elephant joins primates, marine mammals, bats, and birds as animals that can learn to mimic sounds.