Author: Susan Milius / Source: Science News for Students
Don’t expect a BFF-level conversation with Wikie just yet.
But this 14-year-old killer whale can make a rough attempt at human sounds. You might hear a watery “hello” — or some rude noises.Scientists recorded Wikie at her home in Marineland in Antibes, France. She repeated another killer whale’s loud “raspberry” sounds. She also copied a trumpeting elephant noise and someone counting to three.
The orca’s efforts were “recognizable” overall as attempted copies, says José Zamorano Abramson. As a comparative psychologist, Abramson studies how animals learn and behave. He now works in Spain at Complutense University of Madrid.
Abramson and his colleagues wanted to know how whales learn sounds. Whales are among the few non-human mammals that copy calls and other sounds made by their peers. So the scientists had Wikie try to copy sounds. Some came from Wikie’s human trainer. Others came from Wikie’s 3-year-old daughter, Moana.
Moana made unusual noises, some like a creaky door or…
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