There is a common notion that animals have an innate ability to predict natural disasters. Birds and animals show strange behaviour during eclipses and before storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, capturing the attention of even the scientific community. The million-dollar question is, should not this sixth sense be studied and researched so that it can be evolved into an early warning system? Experts feel there is a need to observe biodiversity closely to take a cue from it. They also feel more work is needed on this subject in India, TreeTake takes a look …
When the Brahmaputra is about to be flooded, animals in Kaziranga National Park start traversing to higher ground, even before a flood alert is sounded. How do they know what is coming? Eyewitness accounts of unusual animal behaviour prior to earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural calamities suggest there may be some kind of a fascinating interconnection between animals and their environment. This is what is called their sixth or, by some, seventh sense.
According to Prof Amita Kannaujia of Lucknow University: “Frogs migrating is an indicator of approaching disaster. Even ants respond to environmental changes. Last month there was massive rainfall in Bikaner. Two days before that, I got a message from a professor there. He observed the movement of ants and announced that rainfall was imminent, though it was a desert region. Two days later, there was heavy rain. In another case, a lot many toads were seen moving from one place to another. Later, there was an earthquake. Naturally, due to their sixth sense, the toads had anticipated the quake and were moving away to save themselves. There are many such indicators but there is a need to observe them. Plants also indicate certain things. Water hyacinth never grows in fresh water so its growth is an indication that the water is polluted. If all this is studied and data recorded, it can be of immense help. In fact, urban biodiversity should also be studied. We should also observe urban animals’ sensitivity towards pollution, noise pollution, and towards natural calamities and phenomena like eclipses.”
Historical account of unnatural animal behaviour prior to a calamity can be traced back to 327 BC when the Greeks observed rats, dogs, snakes and weasels, etc. fleeing a city called Helice before an earthquake shook it. Oxen, sheep, dogs and geese showed unusual restlessness and alarm before the Naples quake of 1805. Horses were said to have panicked before the San Francisco quake of 1906. Studies have shown that some animals can sense major changes in the weather. Worms flee rising groundwater and sense air pressure changes; birds roost before a big storm. Snakes are also said to be most sensitive to impending earthquakes. Researchers in Florida who studied tagged sharks said they fled deeper water just before a big hurricane, probably because they also sensed air and water pressure changes.
Before the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, elephants in Sri Lanka reportedly fled to higher ground hours before the catastrophe. Several other animals also showed distress. Many pet owners in Japan reported restlessness in their dogs and cats before the 2011 Fukushima earthquake. There have also been reports of farm animals, such as cows and chickens, in China showing agitation or refusing to eat before earthquakes. So, what intrigues many is if such animal behavior can act as an early warning system for humans, who, with all the technology at hand, are unable to predict natural calamities accurately.
According to UP PCCF Deepak Kumar: “There is a need to study unusual animal behaviour prior to disasters. Data should be collected so that this ability is harnessed. Toads, dogs, snakes, and even the fish in the ocean sense calamities. Their senses are extra strong. Bear, for instance, can smell from a kilometre away. Biologists should study, collect data, and codify it to benefit mankind. There is no substitute to this sixth sense so it is important to study it. The basic needs of animals are food and protection. So, they are gifted with extra powers to sense danger to their safety. Thousands of years ago, when there was no technology, man relied on such indicators only.” He said the fishermen community in coastal areas and those living in proximity to jungles often observed such things. They should be made more aware and their observances should be noted.
Senior (retd) forester Anuj Saxena said: “Animals do have the power to sense approaching disasters. Now, how can this power be harnessed for an early warning system is a matter of research. Fishermen and forest dwellers observe such changes in animal behaviour and so if the data is collected, recorded and studied some benefit is bound to be derived.”
Dr Kuruvilla Thomas, director, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun said: “Some time back there was a massive landslide in Wayanad. But no animal casualty was reported. Anticipating danger, they had all migrated to safer places. There are many other such reports. If the data is collected, verified and scientifically validated, the outcome is bound to have beneficial results. But the beginning should be made at the indigenous level, particularly with the tribals for they observe nature and wildlife as well as animal cues most minutely.”
Where does this superpower come from?
This innate ability to sense disasters may stem from a number of factors, such as sensitivity to vibrations. Possibly, animals are able to detect low-frequency vibrations or microseismic activity that precedes earthquakes. Dogs, for example, have been observed barking or pacing before tremors that humans cannot feel. Sensitivity to changes in atmospheric pressure is another reason. It is said birds and small animals can sense changes in barometric pressure associated with hurricanes or tornadoes.
Electromagnetic field sensitivity: Certain species, such as bees and birds are known to respond to electromagnetic changes. It is said pets might similarly detect shifts caused by geological disturbances.
Chemical hints: The behavioural changes might also occur as animals sense (smell) gases released from the Earth’s crust prior to earthquakes.
Humans may not notice such subtle environmental changes but animals with their acute senses are more alert and responsive. Different species give different responses. Birds show sudden changes in migration patterns or unusual flocking behaviour, dogs bark excessively, start pacing or show anxiety, fish show unusual swimming patterns or mass movement from a specific area while bovines and sheep are restless, agitated or change grazing patterns. In fact, there are numerous accounts in every culture about the ability of animals to perceive subtle environmental changes before natural disasters, such as birds becoming before volcanic eruptions, snakes awakening from hibernation before earthquakes and toads leaving their colonies during the breeding season before an impending earthquake. In India, for instance, when people notice ants scurrying away with their eggs, they say rain is in store.
What studies say
Several researches and studies have been conducted into this phenomenon and the findings made certain revelations.
In Italy, researchers placed sensors on cows, sheep and dogs in the seismic area and found the animals were restless several hours before earthquakes. The closer to the epicentre, the more the restlessness, it was found. As per reports, in an international cooperation project, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour in Konstanz/Radolfzell and the Cluster of Excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour at the University of Konstanz investigated whether cows, sheep, and dogs could really get forewarning of earthquakes. So, they attached sensors to the animals in an earthquake-prone area in northern Italy and recorded their movements over several months. The data showed that the animals were unusually restless in the hours before the earthquakes. The closer the animals were to the epicentre of the impending quake, the earlier they started behaving unusually. The movement profiles of different animal species in different regions could therefore provide clues with respect to the place and time of an impending earthquake. Scientists also monitored goats near the volcano Mount Etna for two years and in one case, found they exhibited unusual behaviour six hours before an eruption In fact, seven major eruptions based on this data were predicted. Toads in an Italian city showed erratic behaviour five days before a quake, including disruption of their reproductive activity.
Benefits of harnessing this power
o. Researchers feel there may be a significant impact of an early warning system based on animal behaviour.
o. It may end up saving precious human lives because each minute of warning allows more people to quit dangerous areas and the authorities can clear buildings at risk of collapse.
o. It can also help to cut down on damages during natural disasters.
o. It can help in more reliable prediction of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes etc.
Technology role vital
Modern technology has enhanced our ability to study animal behaviour in relation to natural disasters. GPS tracking devices fitted on pets and wildlife can monitor movement patterns and detect anomalies/changes in their routines. For example, sudden migrations or unusual movement patterns may indicate environmental disturbances. If animal behaviour data is combined with tools that measure seismic activity, atmospheric pressure and electromagnetic changes, it may offer a more comprehensive approach to studying disaster precursors.
Use for disaster preparedness
Integrating animal behaviour with early warning systems may have several practical applications. Communities can report unusual findings. Pet owners may document unusual behaviours using mobile apps linked to disaster monitoring networks. This crowdsourced data might reveal patterns across regions. Pet/animal owners can be educated and made aware of potential warning signs in their animals, encouraging vigilance in disaster-prone areas. If they recognize warning signs early, they can also act quickly. Zoos and wildlife sanctuaries can also document animal responses to environmental changes. If shifts in animal behaviour before catastrophes are noted, understood and reliably documented they can form a critical component of disaster response strategies. If wildlife is also brought within the ambit, it would be possible to understand the ecosystem’s response to catastrophes. Co-relating animal behaviour data with seismic and atmospheric monitoring devices can increase early detection capabilities.
But what is important is that there is a need to observe and record such behavioural shifts, and take cues from it. Anomalies should never be ignored. Another expert Gyaneshwar Shukla said: “About 10-12 years ago, an entire village in Badaun had to be relocated three kilometres away due to the proliferation of ants. But there was no investigation as to what exactly happened and why. Even the media did not report it and the issue was swept under the carpet. Then how would you expect people to observe animal behaviour?”
Requesting anonymity, a BBC photographer and wildlife enthusiast said: “Ironically, man is moving away from nature. Animals are very sensitive and very close to nature and the environment. So, they sense things. You may have seen even the street dogs in your locality sensing certain things. It is necessary to become close to and be very sensitive towards animals and the environment to understand the shifts in animal behaviour and their underlying importance.”
Practical hurdles
There are several impediments to the study of animal disaster prediction. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between normal and predictive behaviour. Normal behaviours, such as a dog barking, may be mistaken for disaster prediction, leading to false alarms, though it may be barking for some other reason Data may not be consistent and due to variability in animal responses, it may be difficult to establish standardized indicators of impending disasters. Hence, largescale scientific studies are needed as well as sustained efforts and innovation Despite a number of reports, the exact mechanisms behind animals' ability to sense disasters are not fully understood. Besides, not all animals in a given area need to show the same behaviour. Implementing effective animal-based early warning systems requires careful monitoring and interpretation of animal behaviour, which can be complex. Using animals as disaster predictors should be done responsibly, ensuring their well-being and not causing undue stress.
Way forward
The idea that pets and other animals might serve as a natural disaster warning mechanism, though it may be somewhat nascent, is intriguing. While research is underway in foreign countries, experts agree that there are many benefits to tapping this phenomenon. Understanding animal behaviour towards environmental changes and taking cues from it may be a game changer for warning systems and disaster preparedness. However, this would mean that several disciplines and communities would have to collaborate, coordinate and cooperate. Pet owners would have to record their animals’ behaviour and share data with researchers. Zoologists, seismologists, meteorologists and engineers would also have to team up to interpret unusual animal behaviour towards environmental changes.
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ICARUS—A space-based system
An international team of scientists has developed a new, space-based system for predicting natural disasters. Under this, wildlife is tagged and its movements are monitored from space. ICARUS, or the International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space, several years in the making, is aimed at capitalizing on the latest in tagging technology to gather relevant data from animals. The team led by scientist Martin Wikelski from the Max Planck Institute believes that tapping into wildlife behaviour may be a game-changer and help mankind prepare better for disasters by understanding environmental shifts.
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