On February 4, 1975, at 7:36 am, a massive earthquake struck north-eastern China. Its intensity was similar to the earthquake that hit Venezuela today. Although the earthquake caused widespread destruction—10,000 to 15,000 buildings completely collapsed—the loss of life and property was minimal. About 2,000 people died, and most of the deaths were caused by the cold and fire, not the earthquake. According to a report by *Scientific American*, Chinese authorities saved thousands of lives due to warning signals received from snakes, dogs and fish. There is a saying in China that whenever the earth is about to shake, animals are the first to know about it. Before the Haicheng earthquake, authorities had evacuated people to safe places after noticing strange behavior of animals. Although the earthquake occurred at 7:36 pm, orders to shut down the city and evacuate buildings were given as early as 2:00 pm. This was the first time in history that such a prediction had saved thousands of lives. Later research revealed that in addition to animal behavior, some minor aftershocks were also felt before the main event. China later included it in its official warning system and trained people in at-risk areas to understand animal behavior.
Why did the behavior of animals in Haicheng arouse suspicion?
The temperature in Haicheng in the month of February usually ranges between -10 to -15 degrees Celsius. During this time, many reptiles go into hibernation by going deep underground to escape the cold. But in early February, snakes suddenly started coming out of their holes. They were dying of cold as they crawled on the frozen ground, yet hundreds of snakes were coming out of their holes. In the bone-chilling cold, this behavior of snakes was considered by the local people as a sign of some major disaster. Additionally, dogs were barking restlessly and trying to escape from the houses. According to *Scientific American* and *Science Frontiers*, rats were seen roaming around houses and streets fearlessly, as if they wanted to leave the city. Chickens refused to go into their pens, and fish began to appear in ponds.
How do animals know that an earthquake is about to happen?
Scientists have given many theories that show how animals can sense the danger of earthquake in advance. Research published in the journal ‘National Library of Medicine’ shows that earthquakes produce two types of waves: P-waves (primary waves) and S-waves (secondary waves). P-waves travel faster and cause less damage; These reach the animals first. If an animal senses these, it tries to run away.
Another theory is about seismic gases; As the pressure on the rocks increases, gases start coming out from the cracks under the ground. Some animals – especially dogs – can sense it. These gases may begin to be released several hours, days or even months before an earthquake occurs.
Additionally, rocks have a “piezoelectric effect” before earthquakes – a type of magnetic shift that birds, sharks and other creatures can sense. A study of the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila, Italy, found that frogs began leaving the area five days before the earthquake.
Before an earthquake, there are changes in the level and chemistry of underground water, and organisms living in water are very sensitive to these changes. Research shows that before an earthquake, conditions like increase in radon level in water, change in pH and temperature fluctuations can occur.
Infrasound (very low frequency sound) is also a cause; It sends vibrations through the ground that signal danger to animals. While humans cannot hear these low frequency sounds, animals and birds can.
What does science say?
In 2013 and 2014, the Max Planck Institute (Germany) conducted a unique experiment in the Apennine mountains of Italy. In this study, animals – specifically cows, sheep and dogs – were fitted with GPS and activity trackers to record their behavior. Research found that whenever an earthquake occurred in that area over a period of six months, changes in the activity patterns of animals began several hours in advance. This study was published in *Ethology* journal in 2020.
Similarly, Japanese scientists did a lot of research on catfish. A 2011 study showed that catfish begin to writhe before earthquakes; This behavior occurs due to changes in the magnetic field. Experts at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) believe that animals behave strangely before earthquakes, but they say that it cannot be considered a reliable early warning system. However, a study by Germany’s Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience found that cows, sheep and dogs make unusual movements up to 20 hours before an earthquake occurs. Using AI and machine learning, these signals can be incorporated into a larger early warning system.
Not only in China, but in other places too, animals have given indications of an upcoming earthquake…
Japan: ‘Namazu’ is called earthquake fish; It is a giant catfish that is believed to live underground and its movements cause earthquakes. Before the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, there were reports of strange animal behavior in many areas, although these were not taken seriously at the time.
Italy: In 2009, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the city of L’Aquila, killing 309 people. British scientist Russell Grant and his team did research on the toads there and found that they had fled their usual places five days before the earthquake. This study was published in *Journal of Zoology* in 2010.
Thailand: Before the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004, elephants in Khao Lak, Thailand broke their chains and fled to higher ground; When the tsunami hit, both the elephants and their mahouts remained safe. Similarly, animals in Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park had moved to safe places before the tsunami hit.
USA: In 1906, an earthquake of 7.9 magnitude occurred in San Francisco. Many documents record that the night before this earthquake, dogs were howling continuously and horses were restless, trying to escape from their stables.