Freshwater otter plays piano

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Most popular comments
for Freshwater otter plays piano

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HawklordLI - 9 years ago

He 'otter be' pretty good by now. Nyuk! Nyuk!

Angel-chan - 12 years ago

Play 'em off, Keyboard Otter. :3

BobBarkerIsAGod - 12 years ago

how dumb, i can play so much better, and i dont need treats every 5 seconds

ThistleFist - 13 years ago

A musician starving for his art.

coasttocoast15 - 13 years ago

@sports89man7 i actually lol'd really hard at this. great point, sportsman.

Mike Belcourt - 13 years ago

Crikey, that otter is better than me at piano o.O

James West - 13 years ago

OTTER WANTS SYNTH

Eaglefly124 - 13 years ago

This could be made into a CD called "Otter Jazz" and proceeds from the sale could go toward otter-related conservation efforts...

Monterey Bay Aquarium - 13 years ago

This was created as a behind-the-scenes “enrichment.” Our husbandry staff created this activity to give Dua something interesting to do, extend his feeding time and make use of his incredible dexterity. The goal is to keep the animals healthy and stimulated!

10. comment for Freshwater otter plays piano

Tommy Smitbag - 13 years ago

@ouchlasers to be fair he's an otter

greenie2600 - 13 years ago

That's not a piano.

Shirley McGreal - 14 years ago

Dua is living at IPPL in Summerville SC and now has a retired zoo girl as his mate, she is named Bubbins! They're a cute couple but we don't have a piano!

XxAfroCoreBassxX - 14 years ago

Amazing. True skills cept i wish they would stop feeding him while he played, still it was cool

helmholtz - 14 years ago

Meng. Instead of steadily breaking his Concentration let the Maestero finally get to Playing!^^

Charlie Giles - 14 years ago

Those are the cutest paws I've ever seen!! xDD

Garlannd NameLast - 14 years ago

When you guys produce Mozotter let me know.

saberwing - 14 years ago

the otter would probably only do it if he got food.

Mush Respect - 14 years ago

it would be nice if he was left to play for longer than 2 seconds

pixledemon - 14 years ago

Thats one jazzy otter.

20. comment for Freshwater otter plays piano

221b - 14 years ago

Stop interrupting it! Every time it started to get a groove on the handler would distract it with food.

A. Gomes - 14 years ago

i am sad that they are not in the wild but THe aquarium is simply helping the animals they already have. Its better for them to have a good life then be hunted to extinction for their coats like the otters of san diegp. :(

itsthekeri - 14 years ago

Conditioning at its best!

sleekweasel - 14 years ago

This animal isn't native to the US, so it seems unlikely that it's for release: The piano playing makes use of this species of otter's natural food-finding habits - they fumble around in the mud in rice paddies for things like crayfish with their sensitive fingers. I can't comment on how much fun the animal has doing it, or whether it just likes being fed, but it's obviously not distressed or injured by the game, which is a variant of its natural behaviour.

sleekweasel - 14 years ago

You're unlikely to have seen this species of otter in the bay - this is an Asian Small Claw otter, and they normally live in rice paddies where they use their sensitive paws to find things to eat in the mud with the same sort of motions he was using to 'play' the keyboard. This species is very active during the day and most folks find them very cute, so they're commonly displayed in otter exhibits. The sea otters would be better with maracas or something percussive - they bang clams on stones.

areitu - 14 years ago

It's to keep them from getting bored

Katelyn - 14 years ago

Aw!!!! He's (or she) is soo cute!!!! But I really don't understand the meaning of it. Teaching an otter how to play the piano was a cute idea but I really don't understand how pressing keys on a plasic little piano is going to help it in the wild. It's not like in the wild it'll get a treat afterwards.

Valkyrio - 14 years ago

Cute, except the only reason he's touching the keys is because he knows he'll get food after he does.

dreamynights - 14 years ago

This isnt enrichment, its teaching him a trick. Enrichment would be giving him different toys, foods, sounds or sights he's never seen before and letting them explore these objects themselves. It's not "hey do this and i'll give you a treat!"

HimeNoKuri - 14 years ago

I'm OTTERLY amazed! LOL

30. comment for Freshwater otter plays piano

WCarnation - 14 years ago

Humans are animals. We likely discovered music by noticing things make sounds we like. I'm pretty sure the otter has ears.

motivatedsoda - 14 years ago

move over keyboard cat this is the new internet phenomenon :)

Alexander Hughes - 14 years ago

cool

hello - 14 years ago

poor slave animal

Reinventing the Glial - 14 years ago

You could possibly get an animal to play longer if each time you would wait ever so slightly longer to give the treat. An animal could get used to the larger increments of playing, and grow to expect to have to play longer. You could get them to play for a minute or minutes, depending on how comfortable they are playing in the itself, because at that point you're testing the limits of their attention span. Don't you want that? PLAY, MR. OTTER!

micafonist - 14 years ago

no skillz

LuisEspinozaMusic - 14 years ago

well its an animal not a human.... he has no idea what music is.... all he wants are those treats... people thinks its cute... ok.... i keep doing this "....."

Terrum - 14 years ago

Can you train an animal to do that..? I don't think so.

Terrum - 14 years ago

omg i got that exact keyboard! :) It's so many years old!!

Cabe565 - 14 years ago

stupid. this otter has no idea what he's doing, it sounds retarded too.

Imperialnews - 14 years ago

have the otter play piano man

meatissodumb - 14 years ago

did he die?

VinillaFarmer - 14 years ago

YES THAT IS A WIN!

Andi Delisle - 14 years ago

this is one cool otter :)

Nicholas K Girard - 14 years ago

Actually this would be donations... not so much tax dollars. Stop throwing that phrase around.

alandlum - 14 years ago

It's "grammar".

Will Tavlin - 14 years ago

I went to this aquarium a few years ago, it is really nice

d0r3m1 - 14 years ago

grammar ;)

Amidity - 14 years ago

Grammar*

sumfinunique - 14 years ago

why that tiny space for its hand?? ): looks squeezed..

50. comment for Freshwater otter plays piano

heakboy - 14 years ago

u spelled grammar wrong =.=.

Erazmus B. Dragon - 14 years ago

I don't think anyone would think the otter is playing the piano as a hobby, or at least I would hope nobody would.

TheUndert0ker - 14 years ago

Believe it or not, I'm actually a river otter who has been trained to post redundant comments online.

joycieket - 14 years ago

STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY!

n0time2spare - 14 years ago

He must be thinking "I love this guy. He gives me food to smack my hands around"

Deebus - 14 years ago

I suggest you do the same. Grammar*

Jarda Karlik - 14 years ago

I dont like this video because it has nothing to do with playing on piano

el Kamilo - 14 years ago

u guys should just put that piano in there with um and see what genius emirgeses...... yeah i cant spell lol its late n stuff

SystemOnCrack - 14 years ago

did he died?

staphinfection - 14 years ago

He needs to be trained to lift his paws dramatically at the end of his performance...... that's how the pros do it.

Alex Brynhildarson - 14 years ago

exactly what i thought xD

Mandalorx10 - 14 years ago

Press key = food

Valbuenium - 14 years ago

Looks so fluffy! :D

fortheloveofLDS - 14 years ago

Aw. Skills. I love otters. c:

KakaDeman - 14 years ago

Enough of suffering animals

Morndenkainen - 14 years ago

actually, the bay aquarium isnt funded from tax dollars, its funded by what it brings in from admissions, research grants, and donations.

StanK27 - 14 years ago

He's getting food for playing the piano.. I think that otter has it pretty good.

Paddy Nesh - 14 years ago

hahaha

Khalyd Clay - 14 years ago

teaching dogs to sit is wrong whats the matter with you?! haha....

Jason Swihart - 14 years ago

Thelonious Mink.

quicsilver - 14 years ago

play a crappy tune on a cheap piano for your master !!!! MUHAAHAHAHAHA......

dechagny - 14 years ago

that's cruel...

Damien Burch - 14 years ago

uh oh this Otter has more views of his piano playing skills than I do NOT FAIR lol look me up it's called I GOT THE BEAT funny

IWannabeJew - 14 years ago

He should do a duet with the Geico gecko.

marcusunlimited - 14 years ago

The power of Yamaha FM Synthesis UNLOCKED by Otter. First there was Vangelis, then Enya, then Chromaticus, and now there is OTTER!

OIympus - 14 years ago

...poor otter :\

ProgrammerGamer - 14 years ago

really whats wrong with it? you think training animals is cruel?

balderdash707 - 14 years ago

You can't criticize the zoos though, most of the animals there have had their natural habitats nearly destroyed by other people, and would just die if released back into the wild. Nobody is promoting habitat destruction, and these people are just doing their best given the circumstances.

DARKTURTLE06 - 14 years ago

This activity was created to give Dua something interesting to do and extend his feeding time, while showing off his species dexterity. You can learn more by visiting. This is directly from the video description. there is nothing wrong with this.

CaptainLutra - 14 years ago

AWESOME!!!!

puddrulesall - 14 years ago

this is crap... he didn't even play in key. 0/5.

piemonster4 - 14 years ago

This is a case of classical conditioning. The otter has learnt that if it hits the keys it gets a treat. Every animal owns this function. It's not special.

Muni Ng - 14 years ago

OMG STOP FEEDING HIM!! I wasnt to listen to what hes playing!

shouganairu - 14 years ago

lol

Doctor Jack - 14 years ago

musicians work on the same principle. THIS OTTER IS A MUSICIAN, HE WORKS FOR HIS FOOD!!!

mikael69yy - 14 years ago

Fantastic !

syzygywell - 14 years ago

wow does he have great toes. way better than my cat.

Creativinity7 - 14 years ago

Would he bite if you didn't have him behind that glass wall?

Anoki Gryphon - 14 years ago

aww!

Sailor Marty - 14 years ago

I think that's how they trained him to play in the first place... That's generally how animals are trained (ie, conditioning the animal to get accustomed to getting a food reward for performing a task).

HocoRuco - 14 years ago

The best way to make people excited about conservation is to give them a personal connection to an animal or place. This may strike you as unnatural but if it makes someone go "Oooo how cute. I love otters now and don't want them all to die" then mission accomplished. Also the purpose of enrichment is to stimulate an animal's brain and keep them entertained. Sometimes that isn't possible with natural items only. They can only play with rocks for so long before they get bored.

HocoRuco - 14 years ago

you have to feed it...that's how you train an animal.

Videbimus - 14 years ago

you call that playing? he's just hitting random notes. teach him a song, then i'll be impressed.

Stephen Moseson - 14 years ago

jeez stop feeding him, he just wants to play

Dena Saper - 14 years ago

Does he do weddings and Bar Mitzvahs?

Fleks Alpha - 14 years ago

if you havent gave her so much food,maybe i could hear the otter actually play,but you were always interrupting with your food

Jessica Saunders - 14 years ago

WILL PLAY FOUR TREATZ

Cyndi Crawford - 14 years ago

yeah, that piano sounds *EXACTLY* like a piano I had when I was a kid. it's at least fifteen years and maybe even twenty years old.

Zorn101 - 14 years ago

dose any one know why this otter is in prison ? and is forced to preform for tasty tasty snacks? he has shifty eyes i think its involuntary manslaughter

Aquacoon - 14 years ago

It would have been cool if you were actually letting him play the piano instead of interrupting him every second to give him a treat. Now I question whether he was doing it for fun, or the treats.

100. comment for Freshwater otter plays piano

Domagoj Kučko - 14 years ago

she is probably doing that because they don't give her and food =D

Peter Langley - 14 years ago

Brilliant.

peterbundy84 - 14 years ago

play him off keyboard cat!

Monterey Bay Aquarium - 14 years ago

Thanks for all your comments. Enrichments occur throughout the Aquarium. Theyre designed to stimulate the animals, keep them healthy and active, and encourage interaction with their environments. Institutions throughout the country have similar programs, many of which are required by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The use of man-made objects is common. Its all done with the animals welfare in mind. Though occasionally—as you see here—it can be entertaining as well!

Julie G - 14 years ago

Haha the cheesy drum and keyboard sounds...how old is that thing?? Like 15 years? I love it!

durasf - 14 years ago

I agree. It's just a conditional refflex directly linked to food offering

Nathan Lund - 14 years ago

Ahaha. I love this!

TaviRider - 14 years ago

Cute and all, but why is the Monterey Bay Aquarium training otters to play instruments? The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans. It seems to me they should do so by showing ocean life behaving naturally, not trying to entertain us with animal tricks. Theyre not pets.