Can Animals Predict Earthquakes?
Dear Scientist Sam,
I noticed my dog acting very nervous only a few
minutes before a recent earthquake shook
the house. Is it possible that my dog knew the
earthquake was going to happen?
Janet
Sam's reply:
Well, Janet, people have believed for many centuries that animals
can predict earthquakes. In fact, we can look back to records from
the ancient Greeks. They noticed that animals acted oddly in the
hours before earthquakes. Even now, people talk about dogs that
won't stop barking and cats that won't come out of hiding before
an earthquake. Furthermore, strange behavior like this before
earthquakes isn't limited to pets. People have also reported
seeing chickens stop laying eggs, bees leaving their homes, and big groups of fish
dying mysteriously in the;hours before a natural disaster hits.
It's hard to answer your question, since not all
seismologists1 or animal experts agree that animals
can predict earthquakes. Those that disagree claim
that we should take into account other things
that affect animal behavior, such as hunger. On the
other hand, many people who believe that animals
can predict earthquakes often have records of very strange animal behavior right
before_the ground shakes. To them, this is evidence that animals can indeed predict
earthquakes.
In short, the truth is that we aren't sure. Animals might be able to sense earthquakes
before they happen, but there is no solid evidence that they can. However, one thing
that most seismologists can agree on is that more research is needed. Animals may be
the key to predicting earthquakes before they happen, and could help save many lives.
1 A seismologist is a scientist who studies earthquakes and movements of the earth
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