Elephant at Washington D.C.'s National Zoo Plays the Harmonica

Posted on May 7, 2012

Shanthi, a 36-year-old Asian elephant at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, likes to play the harmonica. Shanthi's keepers started providing her with different kinds of instruments after noticing she would often use her trunk to make sounds. The zoo says Shanthi "has a propensity for coming up with her own ditties using whatever instruments the keepers have provided."

Shanthi's keepers say they do not make her play the harmonica. She plays it when she wants. Sometimes they will ask her to demonstrate for the public. A great demonstration of Shanthi's harmonica playing talents is around the 1:45 mark in the video. Here Shanthi's playing resembles a song. Take a look:

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