Krantz rescued Tako from a fish market, with the hope of training him to play piano. His idea stemmed from the belief that octopuses, with their highly dexterous arms and independent brain function, might be the perfect natural musicians. However, getting Tako to play was far from simple. Despite initial failures and frustrations, Krantz’s patience, creativity, and persistence eventually led to success.
A Challenging Beginning: Understanding Tako’s Intelligence
When Krantz first began his experiment, the plan seemed simple: teach Tako to press piano keys. However, he quickly learned that octopuses are not motivated by the same cues that work for humans. Tako didn’t respond to visual cues or the standard methods used in animal training, and instead, he dismantled the piano setup, exploring his environment on his terms. According to Krantz, “I can’t just apply chicken logic to my octopus and expect it to work.” This crucial insight highlighted the need for a new approach.
Krantz also realized that teaching Tako through visual means wasn’t going to work. Octopuses rely on tactile and chemical cues rather than visual stimuli. Recognizing this, Krantz pivoted his strategy. Instead of traditional piano keys, he built a custom underwater piano with levers, taking into account Tako’s unique way of interacting with the world.
Innovative Solutions: The Crab-Elevator Method
Once Krantz had a piano that suited Tako’s needs, the next challenge was to motivate him to play. This is where the “crab elevator” came into play. Tako’s favorite food, crabs, became the centerpiece of the training process. Krantz designed a system where Tako had to pull a lever to lower a crab into a tube, rewarding him with the tasty treat. Over time, this system turned the piano into a puzzle for Tako, encouraging him to engage with the keys and play in a way that felt natural to him.
The process wasn’t immediate, and Tako’s progress was slow at first. However, the rewards were effective, and Krantz soon saw consistent progress. According to Krantz, the piano became a puzzle, and if there is one thing cephalopods love, it’s a puzzle. After several weeks, Tako began pulling the levers to generate sound, marking the beginning of his musical journey.
The Bond Between Human and Octopus
While the experiment was undoubtedly a groundbreaking look at animal cognition, the most profound aspect of the project wasn’t the music, it was the relationship between Krantz and Tako. What began as an experiment to teach an octopus to play the piano evolved into a genuine connection between the two. As Krantz spent months training Tako, he realized that Tako had become more than just a subject for a YouTube video; he had become a companion.
This bond wasn’t just about training Tako to play music. It was about understanding his behavior, his preferences, and his unique intelligence. According to Krantz, Tako is not only a pet but a companion who now shares his life with him. “Tako may not be Rachmaninoff, but he was Tako,” Krantz reflects. The relationship they formed over six months was a testament to the deep emotional connections humans can form with animals, especially when mutual trust is built.
Tako’s journey from potential dinner to piano-playing partner underscores a larger conversation about animal intelligence. Octopuses, known for their problem-solving abilities, have long been regarded as highly intelligent creatures.