The First Act of the Philadelphia Zoo’s Summer Finale? A French Musician Who Sings to Animals

Plumes, the artist known for singing to animals around the world, is coming to the Philadelphia Zoo. / Photograph courtesy of Plumes

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Next week, French musician Loris Assadian, better known as Plumes on social media, will bring his signature pink guitar to the Philadelphia Zoo, marking his first appearance at a U.S. zoo. His audience? The animals themselves.

For Plumes, the performances have always been about much more than making charming videos for the internet. The zoo says his music will serve as a form of behavioral enrichment for the animals. That matters to Plumes, too, who has participated in research on how music affects animal behavior.

Before he plays, Plumes talks with the animals’ caretakers to learn about their personalities and behavior. He keeps his own body language neutral, avoids sudden movements, and doesn’t expect or force interaction. “We always try to give them space so that they’re the ones making the decision,” he tells me. “If they want to choose to come up or not, it’s perfectly fine for us as well.”

He also specifically does not use food to lure the animals toward him, he says: “We don’t want the interaction to be food driven.” Instead, the animal gets to decide whether it wants to come closer. If it does, Plumes typically plays love songs. “I know animals don’t necessarily understand lyrics or words,” he says, “but I know they can clearly tell when it’s something positive that I’m trying to put out there.”

He does have one apparent secret weapon when a performance isn’t quite connecting: “The Beatles tunes are very magical,” he says. “Whenever I’m struggling to get something with an animal, I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s play a Beatles song.’”

As for which animals respond best to music, Plumes doesn’t think there’s a simple answer. He used to think alpacas weren’t particularly receptive to his performances, for example, until he encountered individual alpacas that had what he describes as “crazy reactions.”

Now, he says, it’s less about the species than the individual animal. “They all have different emotions and personalities, so I take that into account.”

The whole thing started about four years ago, when Plumes read an article that cows like music. His grandmother lived in the French countryside, where there were plenty of cows, so he decided to see for himself and played for them. They came running and stayed to listen for nearly an hour. That experience eventually turned into a career that has taken him around France and, more recently, around the world. His first trip to the United States was just last month, when he visited Alaska. Philadelphia will be his first U.S. zoo.

He’ll be in Philadelphia for about a week before heading back home to his rescue dog, Lassie, who he says has abandonment issues and doesn’t do well being left alone for too long. But first, there are some animals to serenade.

Photograph courtesy of Plumes

Guests can get a closer look with sessions taking place on August 20th and 21st. Each timeslot features a different animal experience and musical performance, plus a chance to meet Plumes, an up-close animal experience following the performance, and a t-shirt.

Thursday’s sessions are at 10 a.m. with the giant tortoises, noon with the birds at Wings of the World, and 2 p.m. with the big cats. Friday offers 10 a.m. and noon sessions with the giant tortoises and Wings of the World, respectively.

Additionally, an after-hours experience When Animals Listen: An Evening with Plumes on Thursday, August 20th, includes cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, an evening stroll through the zoo, and live musical performances by Plumes throughout the grounds.

Tickets start at $125, with discounts for guests who purchase multiple sessions.

More at the Philadelphia Zoo

The Berenstain Bears host the zoo’s Teddy Bear Picnic in September. / Photograph courtesy of the Philadelphia Zoo

Plumes is kicking off a broader end-of-summer stretch at the zoo, which also includes a rescheduled Summer Ale Fest, an arts festival, a car show, and a picnic with the Berenstain Bears.

On Saturday, August 22nd, the zoo will finally host its annual Summer Ale Fest — its first attempt was thwarted by Mother Nature — an after-hours, adults-only event with unlimited samples of more than 100 craft beers, ciders, and seltzers, and other beverages (plus, food trucks and live music).

The Philadelphia Zoo Art Festival is set for Saturday, August 29th, and will feature live music and more than 30 local artists and makers. Amongst those artists? The zoo’s own residents: The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of AAZK (American Association of Zoo Keepers) will be selling art made by the animals that call the Philadelphia Zoo home.

Then, kids are invited to frolic with the Berenstain Bears at the Teddy Bear Picnic on September 5th. The event also includes activities like lawn games and a “Scavenbear Hunt,” as well as stuffy check-ups with Philadelphia Zoo veterinary staff at the Teddy Bear Clinic. Exclusive picnic baskets are available for pre-order, as well.

And rounding out the summer, the zoo’s inaugural car show (Sunday, September 13th) will display over 100 classic and high-end cars throughout the grounds, as well as activations sharing how car owners can be more eco-friendly.