Monkey Hear, Monkey Do

Did you know that orangutans can imitate sounds and even whistle? Researchers have seen them imitate human activities like sweeping and even washing clothes, but now scientists have found that they can pick up sounds from other species.

Bonnie, an orangutan who lives at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has been whistling for about 20 years. She was never trained to whistle, indicating that some animals can learn and mimic sounds that other species make without being directly taught.

Photograph courtesy Smithsonian National Zoological Park

 

Listen to Bonnie whistling in this video!

Learn more about Bonnie’s whistling on National Geographic News.

Want more orangutans? Check out the Creature Feature.