Great musicians are misunderstood at first...unless they're as cute as these performers.
A group of the National Zoo's Asian Small-Clawed Otters recently performed a genre (and species) shattering song: a discordant, eight-pawed keyboard jam that will guarantee a loyal fan base at the Smithsonian, if not a Carnegie Hall spotlight.
The maestros get to flex their musical muscles (and claws) as part of an exercise in "animal enrichment" — activities designed to stimulate their sight, touch and hearing senses.
But the otters aren't the only ones cutting their first demo tapes. One of the Zoo's orangutans channelled her inner Teddy Brown on a xylophone, and a sloth bear cub did her best Billy Joel impersonation with a heartfelt harmonica solo.
Here's hoping that Bao Bao will soon get a trombone.
This article originally appeared on Smithsonian.com
Asian Small-Clawed Otters Celebrate Enrichment at the Smithsonian's National Zoo
{youtube}wsRlO4dQJGI{/youtube}
Sloth Bear Cub Plays Harmonica
{youtube}tGEdaQ1E8SM{/youtube}
Orangutan Plays Xylophone Like a Pro
{youtube}gddXYuRKccM{/youtube}
Recommended book:
Beyond Words: Talking with Animals and Nature
by Marta Williams.
Animals and nature can act as teachers and guides, send warnings of impending danger, or simply make life more joyous. More profoundly, intuitive bonds with the natural world can foster life-altering changes and spiritual redirection. Beyond Words describes what people experience when they connect intuitively with animals and nature.
