“I hope they like my flute,” says Michael Telapary as he stands in front of several huge animals. Elephants and camels are wandering around, and two elephants, in particular, seem curious about the man standing near their enclosure holding a wooden flute that resembles a magical flute only found in fairytales. It turns out that Michael is holding a type of Native American flute and plans to play it for his animal “audience.”
Michael is a Dutch musician who specializes in Native American flutes. He has played all over the world and has released albums of his beautiful music. But, as he stands in front of these animals, I can’t help but wonder if they will even notice that he is playing.
Do animals understand music? Some people think so. According to National Geographic News, some animals, like humpback whales, make music and may even understand music in a similar way to humans. “Biomusicologists argue that not only are the sounds of some animals pleasing, but they are also composed with the same musical language that humans use.”
If animals can understand and even compose their own music, then it seems that they could also dance to it. Often, when music is played, we can’t help but move along with the tune, and perhaps animals have the same reaction.
Whether or not it is scientifically proven, the elephant in this video seems to react to the beautiful, magically soothing notes that Michael plays on his flute. The elephant moves back and forth to the beat as if it is dancing along to the notes. There appears to be a spiritual connection between Michael and the elephant as they both enjoy the music of the flute.
Watch the elephant’s amazing reaction in the video below!
