Soviets say Talking Elephant Has Human Parents to Talk

 

Moscow (AP) – The official Soviet News Agency says that Batir, a baby elephant at the Karaganda zoo, talks, and that zoologists have tape recordings to prove it.

Here is the full account the news agency, TASS, gave today;

“Once upon a time, a watchman at the Karaganda zoo discovered that the baby elephant Batir talks during the night. Naturally no one believes the watchman’s story: elephants are not on the list of animals capable of imitating human speech.

Nevertheless, zoologists decided to check the truth of the watchman’s claims. Armed with tape recorders, they went off far a night watch at the zoo. And they were rewarded. Batir spoke nearly twenty phrases into the tape recorders. His “interview was even transmitted on local radio. The elephant speaks mainly about himself and his needs. “Batir is good. Batir is a fine fellow. Water. Have you watered the elephant?” The specialists explained this phenomenon by noting that the elephant was orphaned at a very early age. He was raised by humans from the time he was in “diapers”. He learned some of the simplest phrases from his human parents. And besides all that, they say the elephant has exceptional hearing compared with other elephants.”

Post Dispatch, St. Louis, Canada, 7/14/83