Elephants have demonstrated the ability to imitate unfamiliar sounds, including human speech and mechanical noises. One elephant famously mimicked the sound of trucks passing by. Another copied Korean words by placing its trunk inside its mouth. This requires advanced auditory processing and vocal control. Such imitation is extremely rare among mammals.
It matters because vocal imitation is linked to learning and social bonding. It suggests elephants can adapt their communication intentionally.
This ability also places elephants alongside parrots and whales in vocal learning research. It expands how scientists define animal language.
Elephants adjust their imitations depending on their social environment. This suggests they imitate to fit in, not just for novelty.
Current Biology (cell.com)