A terrifying video capturing orcas imitating human speech has left many viewers deeply unsettled.
Killer whales, the largest dolphin species and apex predators, possess remarkable intelligence, including the ability to mimic human speech.
This discovery was made by a team of researchers from Germany, Spain, the UK, and Chile, who conducted a study into the vocal capabilities of orcas and published their findings in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, in 2018.
“We wanted to see how flexible a killer whale can be in copying sounds,” Josep Call, professor in evolutionary origins of mind at the University of St Andrews and study co-author, told The Guardian.
“We thought what would be really convincing is to present them with something that is not in their repertoire – and in this case ‘hello’ [is] not what a killer whale would say,” he added.
The team trained Wikie, a 14-year-old female orca living in an aquarium in France, to copy three sounds made by her three-year-old calf, and then tested her ability to imitate five unfamiliar orca sounds.
Wikie was then exposed to three orca sounds and six human sounds, including the words “hello,” “Amy,” “ah ha,” “one, two,” and “bye-bye”.
The team was amazed to discover that the orca was able to quickly replicate the sounds, successfully mimicking two on the very first attempt.
Listen to the recording below:
Recordings of Wikie’s attempts to mimic human speech have been released on social media, with some listeners finding them “terrifying”.
One user said: “This is as terrifying as it is hilarious,” while another quipped: “Ok, that second hello was a little demonic. Was that really an orca, or the Devil speaking through a ghost box LOL The funniest and scariest thing EVER!”
“Now I’m scared,” a third wrote, and a fourth added: “OK that’s the creepiest f’ing thing I’ve ever heard.”
However, others were amazed at the orca’s ability. “That’s genuinely amazing,” one person said. “These giants are much smarter than we think….amazing,” a second chimed in.
“Certainly a momentous occasion discovering another mammal that can enunciate human language. This could be significant given the high level of intelligence orcas have?” someone else shared.
Call, co-author of the study paper, said the findings offered the first evidence that orcas possess the cognitive ability of vocal imitation.
“I think here we have the first evidence that killer whales may be learning sounds by vocal imitation, and this is something that could be the basis of the dialects we observe in the wild – it is plausible,” Call explained.
“Even though the morphology [of orcas] is so different, they can still produce a sound that comes close to what another species, in this case, us, can produce,” he added.
Call shared that the team has no evidence that the sea animals “understand what their ‘hello’ stands for,” and revealed that more trials would need to be carried out with wild orcas to learn more about how they learn sounds.
Featured image credit: Michael Weberberger / Getty
SeaWorld orca poops in tank and then splashes it all over spectators
By Asiya Ali
Attendees at SeaWorld San Antonio were left disgusted after an orca splashed them with more than just water from its tank.
A crowd was enjoying the park’s popular Orca Encounter Presentation event… until they weren’t.
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A video of the event was shared on social media and showed an unnamed killer whale defecating in the tank, which can be seen through the glass window, in front of a live crowd.
The animal continued swimming after its little toilet session before completing an impressive high-flying manoeuvre that ended with guests being unexpectedly doused with freshly soiled water.
The clip then shows a boy, along with several other parkgoers, looking visibly traumatized and quickly fleeing the area.
Meanwhile, the whale continued with the performance because the show must go on.
Watch the incident below:
A guest named Samantha King spoke to Times Now World about the moment and said that “it was shocking”.
“We expected to get wet sitting so close, but not like that. It smelled awful, and people were gagging,” she added.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) was amused by the clip and quipped that the killer whale knew “exactly what it did” when it splashed on the attendees.
Another user agreed, and added: “Ocra’s are incredibly smart,” while a third brutally remarked: “If you go to Sea World, you deserve to get splashed with s**t.”
Visitors who were sprayed with giant swells of fresh whale poo were reportedly taken to a decontamination area of the park where they were given soap, towels, and bottled water.
Dr. Lisa Brown, a marine biologist specializing in the health of marine mammals, shared some concerns about the shocking event, stating: “Whale feces can contain bacteria, parasites, and other pathogens, especially in large marine animals that live in close quarters or are under stress.”
“It’s essential to prevent any direct contact with it, especially for people with compromised immune systems or those who have any cuts or scrapes,” she added.
Meanwhile, SeaWorld’s management issued a statement to guests, which read: “We regret this unfortunate event and are taking every step to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests.”
“Our team followed established protocols to minimize health risks and will review our procedures to prevent this from happening again,” they added.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I don’t sit in the splash zones.
Featured image credit: SCIEPRO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty
Family left in terror after they spotted alarming detail in background of beach photo
By Asiya Ali
A family was left terrified after noticing a chilling detail in the background of a beach photo.
Last year, SES Chelsea Unit took to Facebook to share a seemingly innocent photo taken at Carrum Beach in Melbourne, Australia.
The snap shows a typical beach day out: a father and his daughter waving at the camera, a dog enjoying the water, two men standing a bit further out in the sea, and another parent with a child nearby.
But upon deeper inspection, the eagle-eyed family noticed a harrowing detail in the background.
Check out the picture below:
SES Chelsea Unit circled what seemed to be a shark fin not far from all the people at the sea.
The unit wrote in the caption: “As many of you would be aware, yesterday, we posted about a shark sighting, just off the beach, between Bonbeach and Chelsea. Well later, we received a message from a family, who follow our page, who were at Carrum Beach, earlier in the morning.
“It was their little one’s first visit to the beach, and the gentleman’s partner grabbed a couple of snaps to record the day,” they continued. “Later, when they got home and looked at the pictures, they noticed something in the shallow water, just behind them, was this our shark?”
The unit shared that when they viewed the photo, they weren’t “sure” what the sighting was so they reached out to several places for their opinions.
“They all agree that although they can’t confirm it’s a shark, they can’t say that it’s not,” the post reads. “So, what do you think?”
“The family are very genuine, and in fairness, they’re the first to admit that they’re not sure what they snapped, but they certainly would like to know. So if anyone has any genuine ideas of what it might be, please let us know,” they concluded the post.
Many people were left divided over whether the shape was a shark’s fin or not, so they shared their suggestions in the comment section.
“There is a dog in the water near whatever it is so IF the dog didn’t get taken then that is not a shark. Dogs are the first thing to get taken. I’m thinking maybe more likely a rays flap, that would also account for the NO WAKE, and the dark shadow to its right could be its other flap,” one person noted.
Another questioned if it was “a dolphin or a sting ray,” adding: “They come fairly close to the shore. Jesus though… not keen to take the whippet for a swim now.”
A third user shared a lengthy suggestion, penning: “Let’s say it’s a 20cm dorsal fin, for size percent based on bronze whaler that’s only a 1.5 – 1.8m shark. If it’s a 30cm dorsal that’s a 2.3 – 2.6m shark which on one that big would be a belly to bottom of dorsal height of about 45cm swimming in 60cm of water.”
“So a 1.8m shark of that species with a fairly slender belly could easily go unnoticed and would have been far too small to take a German Shepard let alone a person,” they added.
However, a fourth chimed in: “A dog … it’s a dog..Ps banjo sharks are not actual sharks, they are a Ray.”
Nevertheless, one more person simply said that regardless of what it is, it’s “better to be safe than sorry”.
What do you guys think?
Featured image credit: AL Hedderly / Getty
Dramatic video shows moment SeaWorld orca dragged trainer under water and held him there for 15 minutes
By Nasima Khatun
The clip, taken back in 2006, was released to the public in 2012 as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the theme park by the US Secretary of Labor and has resurfaced again online.
The harrowing footage shows the moment a 5,000lb killer whale called Kasatka drags his trainer, Ken Peters from San Diego, under the water for an extensive amount of time.
In the clip, you can see Peters getting ready to do what was called a “rocket hop” with the orca while an excited crowd of spectators watched on.
However, seconds after diving into the water, Kasatka grabs onto the trainer’s foot and starts thrashing him about under the water for a total of 15 minutes.
Thankfully, Peters manages to break free from the animal’s clutches and slowly ushers it away from him before rapidly swimming to safety. But perhaps the most harrowing part of this entire ordeal is watching the whale turn back around and start pursuing his trainer once again.
Peters, as well as the other trainers at the scene, notice this and pull the man out of the shallow end of the pool, but he stumbles due to the injury on his leg.
Watch the full clip below:
The terrified trainer manages to receive treatment at the scene, but this footage remains a frightening reminder of the dangers of containing wild animals for entertainment purposes.
“These wonderful animals should not be used or kept in aquariums/aqua park. Orca from freedom is not violence against man. But an orca held captive becomes a killer. Because it is a very intelligent animal and knows that it is being held captive by humans,” wrote one user who watched the video online.
“No sympathy for those who keep these magnificent creatures in captivity,” another added.
A third also echoed the same point writing: “Probably shouldn’t mess with an animal that has the word killer in its name. They’re known for being unpredictable. It’s called common sense which humans lack in greatly.”
At the time, Judge Ken Welsch, who was overseeing the lawsuit that accused SeaWorld of endangering multiple staff members, referred to the video, which was captured by SeaWorld cameras as “chilling.”
Peters was lucky to have escaped this type of attack with minor injuries while others, such as Dawn Brancheu in Orlando who was killed by a whale named Tilikum, were not.
Per the SeaWorld official website, the company announced in 2016 that “the orcas in their care would be the last generation to live at their parks and that they would end their orca breeding program”.
But the Whale and Dolphin Conservation adds that there were 55 orcas in captivity across the globe (as of March 2024). “SeaWorld holds 18 orcas in its three parks in the United States. At least 44 orcas have died at SeaWorld,” the Whale and Dolphin Conservation adds.
Featured Image Credit: Chen Jimin/China News Service/VCG/Getty
Woman survived after ‘watching herself being eaten alive by chimpanzee’
By Asiya Ali
A woman opened up about the horrifying moment she watched herself being “eaten alive” by an aggressive chimpanzee.
Back in 1994, Angelique Todd was working as a volunteer zoo keeper in Port Lympne Zoo Park near Folkestone, Kent.
During her time there, the researcher and biologist struck up “quite a good relationship” with a 33-year-old male chimp named Bustah.
However, the relationship took a sudden turn when Bustah grabbed Todd’s coat and pulled her arm into the cage while she was feeding three chimps during lunchtime.
Watch Todd talk about the horrific incident below:
Speaking to Our World in 2004, Todd said: “Male chimpanzees in captivity in general, you have to be careful with them, they are one of the most dangerous animals in the zoo. They can be very aggressive, very feisty so you always are cautious.”
Despite being on good terms with the chimp, Bustah was allegedly in a “dangerous” mood on the day he attacked the zookeeper.
“He saw his opportunity and he took it… these kinds of events, you go in slow motion, you’re in shock, you’re trying to survive,” Todd said.
The zookeeper thought that she could just take off her coat but that didn’t work, so she tried to pull her arm back. However, the captive animal’s strength was too much for her.
“I couldn’t provide any resistance, he was just so strong. It was pure survival,” she said, adding that she was “watching [herself] being eaten alive”.
The primate bit off Todd’s thumb and index finger and severed her arteries, causing her to lose a “huge amount of muscle mass”
“I still have tooth wounds on either side of my arm but this is much, much improved,” she said during the documentary.
But in the aftermath of the horrific attack, the biologist revealed that she was not outraged with Bustah, and believes that he must’ve gotten “over-excited” from seeing her.
“I think what he wanted to do was just get hold of me,” she said. “I think initially, it was just ‘I can get hold of her, I can see a hole, there’s a way that I can grab her’ and that’s what his initial reaction was.
“After he bit my thumb off, obviously the blood started spurting out, then it became kind of like a feeding frenzy,” she added.
Todd continued to work at the zoo after the terrifying incident and often came face-to-face with the Bustah for “counseling” reasons. However, she revealed that the chimp was unable to look at her in the eyes after the incident.
“He just had his head on the ground all the time and whether one interprets that as remorse or that he knows that he did a bad thing, I don’t know,” she said.
Despite sustaining life-changing injuries, Todd ended up pursuing a career as a biologist and researcher and worked in the African jungle for the World Wide Fund For Nature.
She later adopted the nickname “The Gorilla Whisperer” due to her closeness with the wild animals, and her inspiring work was featured in the nature documentary, My Gorilla Family.
Featured image credit: Guenterguni / Getty
Man reportedly mauled to death by lion after climbing into enclosure for a selfie
By VT
A man reportedly met a tragic end after he was mauled to death by a lion at a zoo in India. The incident unfolded at the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in Andhra Pradesh, where 38-year-old Prahlad Gujjar from Alwar, Rajasthan, climbed over a 25-ft tall fence in a bid to snap a selfie with the majestic beast.
Ignoring warnings from a caretaker to steer clear of the lion, Gujjar ventured into a restricted area of the zoo and leaped into the enclosure, ultimately meeting a grisly fate at the hands of Dongalpur the lion. The caretaker’s efforts to intervene were in vain as the fatal attack unfolded swiftly.
“As soon as he jumped in, the lion attacked him. It was over in a matter of minutes,” a zoo official recounted the harrowing incident, via the Daily Mail.
Investigations are underway, with authorities conducting a post-mortem examination to determine the circumstances surrounding Gujjar’s death. Suspicions loom over whether Gujjar was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the ill-fated leap.
A man met a tragic end after he was mauled to death by a lion at a zoo in India. Credit: NurPhoto / GettyWith Gujjar visiting the zoo alone, authorities are endeavoring to reach out to his family to convey the heartbreaking news of his demise.
The Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, which houses three lions including Dongalpur, has taken precautionary measures following the tragedy. Dongalpur has been relocated to a secure cage and is under close observation in the aftermath of the fatal attack.
This chilling incident comes on the heels of another tragedy that befell a British woman in India just days prior. The 84-year-old woman, visiting Mamallapuram, southeast India, with her son, tragically drowned in the Bay of Bengal sea while they were at a coastal temple.
The incident unfolded at the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in Andhra Pradesh. Credit: Hindustan Times / GettyAmid the serene backdrop of the coastal town, tragedy struck as strong tides swept the woman away from the beach, despite her son’s valiant efforts to rescue her. Her lifeless body was discovered an hour later, casting a pall of sorrow over the idyllic coastal locale.
As authorities investigate both incidents, they underscore the importance of adhering to safety protocols and exercising caution, particularly in environments where risks abound. The tragic loss of life serves as a sobering reminder of the perils that lurk even in the most seemingly tranquil settings.
