Guitarist Travels the World to Serenade Animals

French singer-songwriter Plumes has the best gigs. Equipped with his brilliant pink acoustic guitar, he travels to farms, sanctuaries, and zoos to serenade cows, horses, parrots, and any other species willing to hear him play folk-pop. His videos capturing the curious reactions of animals on TikTok and elsewhere have gone viral worldwide.

Plumes’s most recent entry on Instagram shows the balladeer next to the lion enclosure of Le Refuge de l'Arche, a wildlife sanctuary in Saint-Fort, south of Château-Gontier. His rendition of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” attracts a curious male right up to the fence, then a female, then another. The little pride was rapt with the music.

The musician was protected from tooth and claw in that case, but he’s also ventured into spaces without fences. At Zoo d’Amnéville in northeastern France, Plumes strummed and sang to a pair of rhinos, both of which came right up to him, their horns inches away. But these savage beasts were clearly soothed by the tune (“Golden Leaves” by Passenger).

Plumes, whose real name is Loris Assadian, began playing for animals three years ago in the French countryside, where he was living with his grandmother at the time. “I read somewhere that cows like music, that it’s soothing to them,” he told AM/FM Magazine earlier this year. “They were super receptive,” he said of his first concert. “They gathered around, some even rubbed against me. It was magical.”

Zoos and sanctuaries have incentive to invite Plumes to play. His videos, viewed by hundreds of thousands of humans, usually include links to the facilities, as well as to other organizations supporting animal welfare. “Animals inspire me to be kinder, more patient,” he says. “Maybe we’ve lost touch with nature, and these videos help people feel that connection again.”

A compilation of Plumes “concerts” are here.

Photo credit: @plumes via Instagram