You have no doubt heard about the remarkable talking duck in Australia, but have you actually heard the recording of the creature saying 'you bloody fool'?
As OGN reported early last week, an Australian musk duck has been recorded saying 'you bloody fool' in the first documented instance of the species mimicking human speech.
A hand-reared male named Ripper was recorded imitating the phrase during a courtship display, according to a study published on Monday and the authors believe that the duck most likely learnt it from his caretaker. It's not known whether the creature was being called the fool or whether the caretaker was talking to or referring to somebody or something else.
"The Australian musk duck demonstrates an unexpected and impressive ability for vocal learning," the study said.
Musk ducks now join in an exclusive group of non-human animals, including some songbirds, parrots, hummingbirds, whales, seals, dolphins and bats, that can learn to mimic such a variety of sounds, reports Christa Lesté-Lasserre of New Scientist.
Whilst not as impressively accuate and clear as some other species, who would ever have thought that a duck could mimic a human voice? No less remarkably, it was also recorded mimicking the sound of the door to the nature center's aviary with uncanny accuracy.
Want to hear it? Click below: