5 animals that can sense natural disasters before they strike

Nature is endowed with surprises, and throughout history, people have observed surprising animal behavior just before natural disasters strike. While scientists continue to study the biological and environmental stimuli that animals respond to, it is quite clear that many creatures have increased vulnerability to senses that allow them to detect changes in air pressure, ground vibrations, or chemical changes long before humans do.

These instincts may be part of survival mechanisms developed over millions of years. Some animals can detect the low-frequency vibrations of an impending earthquake, while others can sense even a slight shift in the atmosphere before a storm or tsunami. While not foolproof or a replacement for technology, observing animal behaviour can be an advantage of modern early-warning systems.

Here are five interesting animals known who have the ability to detect and react to natural disasters.


Dogs

Dogs are incredibly sensitive to sound, smell, and vibrations, which makes them excellent natural sensors for disasters. Before earthquakes, some dogs have been known to whine, pace, or even flee an area moments before the shaking starts. Their increased hearing allows them to detect subtle ground movements or high-pitched noises that humans can’t hear. In some regions, such behaviour has been observed minutes to hours before tremors. While science hasn’t fully explained how they know, their reactions often coincide with seismic activity.



Elephants

Elephants have been observed acting unusually before natural disasters, particularly earthquakes and tsunamis. Their ability to detect low-frequency sounds and infrasound, or sounds below the range of human hearing, may allow them to pick up seismic vibrations from far away. During the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, elephants in Thailand moved to higher ground before the waves hit. Researchers believe their large feet help them feel subtle ground vibrations over great distances.




Cats

Cats are naturally alert and territorial, making any change in their environment immediately noticeable to them. Many cat owners also tell about their strange behaviour, such as hiding, excessive grooming, or making sounds, before storms, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. Some scientists think cats are reacting to changes in barometric pressure or detecting small shifts in electromagnetic fields. Though less studied than dogs in this context, cats’ acute senses and reactions are increasingly seen as signals of potential natural events.



Birds


Birds are highly responsive to atmospheric changes and are often among the first animals to flee before a disaster. In many cases, birds have been seen flying erratically or disappearing entirely from an area hours before a storm, earthquake, or volcanic eruption. Their ability to detect changes in barometric pressure, wind direction, and even infrared sound gives them an edge. In 2014, a study tracked birds fleeing a tornado outbreak days before it hit, despite being hundreds of miles away.

Toads

Toads and other amphibians have shown peculiar behaviour leading up to seismic activity. Before the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy, a group of toads mysteriously abandoned a breeding site just days before the tremor struck. Scientists believe toads might be sensitive to chemical changes in groundwater caused by rock stress and shifts beneath the Earth's crust.