If there was ever any doubt, we’ve got a video that proves animals love music too.
When it comes to music, live shows come in all sorts of different varieties—but this one is bound to surprise you. This talented pianist serenades a massive elephant, who is clearly mesmerized by the classical music he hears.
This is such a beautiful video!
Mongkol is a 61-year-old elephant who was forced to haul logs in captivity until he was rescued and sent to Elephants World to live out the rest of his days.
Elephants World is an Environmental Conservation Organization in Kanchanaburi, Thailand that offers rescued elephants a place to live out their lives in peace.
Paul Barton is a gifted musician, who went viral for playing “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven for Mongkol.
His YouTube channel posted a touching caption, explaining how Mongkol ended up at Elephants World:
“Mongkol is a 61-year-old former logging elephant. His captive-held life was spent hauling trees in the Thai forest. His body shape is deformed through hard labor, he lost his right eye and tusk in this brutal logging practice. Mongkol was rescued and brought to Elephants World to spend the rest of his days relaxing peacefully in freedom by the River Kwai. I discovered Mongkol is an extremely gentle, sensitive elephant who enjoys music, especially this slow movement by Beethoven which I play to him occasionally in the day and night.”
As soon as Barton starts playing the Beethoven, Mongkol’s giant ears perk up to listen to the soothing music.
Mongkol immediately reacts to the sound of “Moonlight Sonata,” raising his trunk into the air in apparent happiness.
At certain moments during the piano performance, it actually seems like Mongkol is dancing to the music by waving his trunk back and forth in sync with the melody of the song.
Elephants are extraordinary creatures with sharp intellect and deep emotion, something on full display in Mongkol’s reaction to classical music.
Just over halfway into the classical ballot, Mongkol appears to take a step back, peering into Barton’s soul with his extremely deep eyes.
This isn’t the first time Barton has gone viral for serenading an elephant at Elephants World!
Back in 2018, he played “Clair De Lune” by Claude Debussy for an 80-year-old elephant named Ampan.
In another moving video, Barton performs some Bach for a blind elephant named Lam Duan, who also lives at the same sanctuary.
At the end of Barton’s “Moonlight Sonata” for Mongkol, the elephant turns to the musician as if to thank him.
This will bring tears to your eyes—seeing such beautiful animals who’ve suffered serious abuse still able to ooze love and kindness is so inspiring!
People on the internet love Paul Barton’s connection with these elephants, and his videos always quickly go viral spreading to people from all around the world.
The video of Barton playing Beethoven for Mongkol has been viewed over 3.9 million times, with 258,000 people who liked it.
Over 17,000 people also left comments, touched by the bond formed between Barton and the animals at Elephant World.
Video’s like this one have gained the gifted musician over 126 million views in total on his YouTube channel. Everything about this video makes you have to love it—especially the fact that these animals who were once mistreated, are now able to enjoy some classical piano with their newest buddy.
To see Barton play the beautiful “Moonlight Sonata” for Mongkol, just watch the video below!
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