A sea lion named Ronan has continued to amaze scientists with her musical talent. Ronan, now 15 years old, lives at the Long Marine Laboratory in Santa Cruz, California. She was rescued many years ago and has become the focus of many scientific studies. In 2013, researchers discovered that Ronan could move her head in time with music, making her one of the few non-human animals able to follow a beat. A new study published in Scientific Reports in early 2025 confirmed that Ronan still has this ability. She especially enjoys keeping rhythm with disco songs like “Boogie Wonderland.” Scientists who have studied Ronan for over ten years say her skills are still very strong.

In the study, Ronan listened to drumbeats at three different speeds: 112, 120, and 128 beats per minute. Two of the speeds were new to her. Researchers wanted to test her cognitive flexibility, or how well she can adapt to change. Ronan did better than ten college students who were asked to move to the same beats. This result supported the hypothesis that animals do not need to copy sounds to understand rhythm. Scientists said Ronan is a distinguished case of animal musicality. They also said her skill may improve with age, showing her ability for lifelong learning. More studies may check if other sea lions share this remarkable talent.