Do Animals Predict Earthquakes?

Does it seem strange to you that, once you get to the corner of your house, your dog already starts barking ? Or that your cat is waiting for you on the doorstep even before you arrive? Could it be because they smell you or because they recognized the sound of your footsteps even from a distance? What is certain is that  the senses of animals are much more developed than those of people, which means that they are able to hear sounds and smells several meters away.

And what about earthquakes or tsunamis then? When you happen to see pictures related to these natural disasters, it is not uncommon to observe how animals are the first to escape, long before humans. Not to mention that, in such circumstances, the number of victims among people is always greater than in animals.

It therefore arises spontaneously to ask ourselves if by chance the animals are not able to foresee this type of calamity. According to NASA, the answer is short, clear and concise: yes, animals are capable of predicting these catastrophes.

NASA explains how animals present earthquakes

When an earthquake, a tsunami or a tsunami is unleashed, the earth’s crust oscillates and these vibrations are perceived by animals. For this reason, the idea of ​​creating a geophone (detector of waves that propagate in the ground) on the model of this powerful animal instinct was considered, so as to be able to predict these natural disasters even before they happen.

It will certainly be an arduous journey, since it is impossible to “copy” the instinct and high sensitivity of animals, but the hope is that progress can still be made in this regard, since many human lives are at stake, which thanks to these kinds of searches could be saved.

Let us now look at some additional examples that reconfirm the ability of animals to predict an earthquake before it rages in all its fury.

The Haicheng earthquake in China

The protagonists of this natural disaster, which took place in 1975, were snakes: exactly one month before an earthquake of great magnitude broke out, these animals came out en masse from their burrows. The phenomenon seemed to make no sense, since snakes do not migrate and nothing like this had ever happened before. At first, therefore, everyone thought of a plague, even if, unfortunately, a month later, the explanation became clear.

The Yanachaga National Park earthquake in Peru

In 2011, a magnitude 7 earthquake shook the area and the Yanachaga National Park, Peru, where, a week earlier, cameras had been placed to observe the progress of the animals. Every day the passage of an average of eighteen animals in front of the cameras was recorded, while six days before the earthquake occurred, the number of them was reduced to three.

United States

Although in this case it was not a particularly intense earthquake, a Labrador Retriever who was with his master in the office, thanks to a Pet Friendly program, was able to predict what would happen shortly thereafter.

The dog was sitting quietly when he lowered his muzzle towards the floor for a couple of seconds and, immediately after, pricked up his ears and began to run. Just at that precise moment the first tremors of the earthquake began and all the staff began to run. We leave you, below, the video of what happened.

In addition to snakes and dogs, however, there are also other animals that can predict these natural disasters before they are unleashed, and not just when it comes to earthquakes.

Animals capable of predicting natural disasters

Cows

These animals can even predict an earthquake six days before it happens. The cows, in these cases, drastically decrease their milk production, due to the great stress that an earthquake entails. Proof of this is what happened in Japan in 2011.

Albatrosses

These birds have an incredible ability to perceive changes in atmospheric and aquatic pressure and, consequently, are able to predict hurricanes: when one approaches, the albatrosses take off and fly away as quickly as possible from the epicenter. , looking for a safe place to take refuge.

Bees

Thanks to their high sensitivity to humidity, bees are able to understand when it will rain: when a storm approaches, they immediately abandon their activity and run to seek shelter.

Elephants

The huge ears of these pachyderms are able to perceive sounds at distances unthinkable for humans: this great sensitivity was noted during the great tsunami that struck Thailand, when the elephants of the area ran to take refuge on the surrounding hills, before unleash disaster.

Cats

These felines literally go crazy when they predict calamities such as earthquakes or volcanic eruptions: their special sensitivity makes them capable of perceiving not only sounds but also the deformations of the earth.

At this point, there is only one thing left to say: wherever you are, if you see an animal that goes crazy and starts running, you would do well to imitate it!