Can Animals Feel an Earthquake Beforehand? How Do Animals React Before an Earthquake?

Earthquake scientists have difficulty in determining the exact time of an earthquake with today's modern technology.

With the emergence of videos showing some changes in the behavior of animals before the recent earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş, the question of whether animals can sense an earthquake in advance has come to mind again. So, what are the behaviors of animals before an earthquake?

Can Animals Feel an Earthquake in Advance?

Throughout human history, earthquakes have been one of the disasters that have affected people and nature the most. There is no scientific basis yet to determine whether an earthquake can be felt in advance. However, some animals have been observed to exhibit interesting behavior minutes or even hours before an earthquake. Even though there have been many predictions about how and why animals react in such a way, this issue is still a mystery.

Animals sense the electromagnetic changes in the earth's crust before an earthquake and act with the instinct to protect themselves. They take the appropriate position by evaluating these signals, which are the harbingers of an earthquake. In this way, they can survive during an earthquake. Especially animals such as cats, dogs, birds, horses and cows can recognize earthquakes in advance. They usually show some behavioral changes such as restlessness, aggression and fear.

According to research, animals have more sensitive sensory organs than humans. They can hear sounds we cannot hear and feel vibrations we cannot feel. Therefore, they can sense the high frequency changes caused by an earthquake earlier than humans.

How Animals React to an Earthquake

Before an earthquake, some animals may show behavioral changes that can be interpreted as a harbinger of an earthquake. These changes observed in animals are as follows;

1. Dogs: Before an earthquake, dogs may feel uneasy and exhibit some abnormal behaviors. For example, they may shake and howl, bark constantly, shake frequently, follow their owner, etc.

2. Cats: Before an earthquake, cats may exhibit behavior such as running away, hiding, purring, puffing, and not wanting to go out.

3. Birds: Before the earthquake, it has been observed that birds fly in flocks in a circle and their sensitivity to noise increases.

4. Cows: Before the earthquake, cows have been observed to frequently wag their tails, wean, and attack nearby cows, among other behavioral changes.

5. Chickens:

6. Horses: Horses have been observed to become more active, restless, prick up their ears, frequently wag their tails, and consistently refuse food before earthquakes.