Can Some Animals Detect Earthquakes Before Humans?

Unknown photographer. (n.d.). [Image of a dog used as cover photo for “Can Animals Feel an Impending Earthquake?”]. Electronic-Sirens.

Imagine going for a calm evening stroll, when suddenly your dog begins barking wildly, as if warning you of something unseen. You look up to see flocks of birds all heading towards the same direction in chaotic bursts, while the neighborhood cat darts under shelter for protection. Minutes later, the ground beneath your feet begins to tremble - an earthquake has arrived. Stories like these have been told for centuries, whether through media, movies, or personal experiences. This sparks the question - how do animals seem to know when an earthquake is approaching before we do? Scientists are beginning to uncover fascinating clues that suggest many species possess biological adaptations - such as seismic sensitivity or even air chemistry that allow them to detect quakes before humans can. 

The Difficulty In Predicting Earthquakes 

For decades, scientists have sought an effective way to predict earthquakes, but it has proven nearly impossible. Precisely predicting quakes would need ample analysis of the Earth’s crust. Earthquakes don’t follow a simple pattern - faults can stay locked for years and then suddenly slip without warning. Minor tremors, radon gas leaks, or electromagnetic changes—the warning signs we are aware of—are mostly inconsistent or are detected too close to the quake to be useful (Nature, 2023). Due to this, the best tools we have today are early detection systems, though they often give just a few seconds’ notice. 

Nature’s Early Warning System 

Though a definitive answer has still not been found, growing evidence links unusual animal behavior with earthquakes. 

Mammals are often the first animals people notice acting strangely before quakes. For instance, pet owners in Japan noticed their dogs and cats barking violently, moving restlessly, and even biting their owners around 24 hours before the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, which had a magnitude of 9.0. According to a survey, 115 of 703 cat owners observed these behaviors 24 hours prior to the earthquake. Fascinatingly, cow milk production within 340km of the epicentre reduced dramatically for about one week before the quake. However, cow milk yields in facilities further away experienced no changes (Yamauchi et al., 2014). Scientists believe that these animals may be sensitive to low-frequency ground vibrations, known as P-waves, which humans cannot perceive. Larger mammals also provide striking examples. In Sri Lanka, during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, eyewitnesses recalled elephants fleeing to higher grounds before the waves arrived, ignoring their caretaker's attempts to stop them (Mott, 2005). Elephants are highly sensitive to infrasound. For example, their large feet act as seismic sensors that enable them to feel low-frequency rumbles in the ground, which humans are unable to do (Elephant Listening Project, n.d.). 

Aside from mammals, birds’ odd behaviors are regularly mentioned. They show sudden flight changes in their usual patterns and abruptly flee from their nesting areas before an approaching earthquake. Among the many species, pigeon behaviors are the most notable as they leave their habitats earlier than other birds. During the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, there were accounts of birds attempting to escape outdoors and displaying restless behavior (Fidani, 2013). Exactly how birds predict earthquakes is unknown, but the primary hypothesis is that they may sense magnetic disturbances generated by seismic activity since birds are known to navigate using the Earth's magnetic field (Evangeline, 2025) 

Birds in flight. From “How Thousands of Animals Behaved Before the Massive Earthquake in Turkey and Syria” by Esquire Philippines, February 15, 2023, Esquire Philippines. Photo by Richard Trible / Shutterstock. Copyright 2023 by Esquire Philippines.

However, many scientists believe that no animals can predict earthquakes better than snakes. A key example is during the 1975 Haicheng earthquake in China, where there were reports of snakes slithering out of their holes in the midst of their hibernation period. This was very unusual as snakes don’t usually flee their dens during winter due to harsh conditions. However, in this instance, they were frantic and heading towards a safe zone. Due to this, Chinese officials commanded the evacuation of the citizens of Haicheng a few days before the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck their city, which prevented deaths and injuries that could have been (CBC News, 2006). Scientists believe that snakes can pick up subtle ground motion due to their hypersensitive vibration receptors, via their belly scales or jaws (Times of India, 2025). 

Ongoing Research

Over the past several years, scientists have taken a deep interest and begun to truly test the idea that animal behavior can act as an early warning system for earthquakes. An example of a promising initiative is the collaboration between the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the pet-tracker company, Tractive, to monitor almost one million GPS-tagged pets globally. They are attempting to look for similar patterns in sudden, unusual behavior from pets like increased activity or restlessness before earthquakes (MPI - AB, 2023). 

From barking dogs and fleeing cats to snakes and birds abandoning their nests, animals have hinted at their extraordinary ability to detect earthquakes before humans can. Scientists suggest these adaptations have developed as survival mechanisms to escape natural disasters to preserve their species. Humans, on the other hand, have to rely more on tools, shelters and social cooperation rather than instincts because our senses are simply not tuned to register environmental signals. While scientists have yet to uncover a single explanation for animals’ unusual behaviors, evidence points to vibration sensitivity, infrasound, electromagnetic shifts, and chemical changes. Ongoing research using GPS collars, cameras, and sensors is beginning to test the many hypotheses surrounding this topic, showing promise for the future. What’s clear as of right now is that nature possesses many hidden adaptations that we humans lack. If we combine their instincts with modern technology, we may move one step closer to creating a reliable early warning system, protecting all of us. 

References 

National Geographic. (2005, January 4). Did animals sense a tsunami was coming? National Geographic News https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/news-animals-tsunami-sense-coming

U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). Animals & earthquake prediction. (September 12, 2025) https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/animals-earthquake-prediction

Yamauchi, H., Hishinuma, T., & Maeda, T. (2014). Unusual animal behavior preceding the 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, Japan: A way to predict the approach of large earthquakes? Animals, 4(2), 131–145                         https://doi.org/10.3390/ani4020131

Görüm, T., Bozkurt, D., Korup, O., İstanbulluoğlu, E., Şen, Ö. L., Yılmaz, A., Karabacak, F., Lombardo, L., Guan, B., & Tanyas, H. (2025). The 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquake disaster was exacerbated by an atmospheric river. Communications Earth & Environment, 6, Article 151 https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02111-9

Animals Around the Globe. (2023, December 22). These birds can predict earthquakes hours in advance. NewsBreak. https://www.newsbreak.com/animals-around-the-globe-312249899/4105143665175-these-birds-can-predict-earthquakes-hours-in-advance

Fidani, C. (2013). Biological anomalies around the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake. Animals, 3(3), 693–721.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/3/3/693#:~:text=Mercalli%20concluded:%20%E2%80%9CIn%20more%20than,in%20the%20region%20of%20Haicheng.

Geoquake. (n.d.). How do snakes predict earthquakes? Geoquake. https://geoquake.org/earthquake/how-do-snakes-predict-earthquakes/

The Times of India. (2025, April 10). 10 animals that respond early to an earthquake. Etimes – Times of India https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/10-animals-that-respond-early-to-an-earthquake/articleshow/120149669.cms

CBC News. (2006, December 28). China bets on snakes to predict earthquakes. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/china-bets-on-snakes-to-predict-earthquakes-1.580626

Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. (2021, October 19). Pets studied to develop disaster forecasting. MPI-AB. https://www.ab.mpg.de/525235/pets-studied-to-develop-disaster-forecasting#:~:text=MPI%2DAB%20joins%20forces%20with,natural%20disasters%20before%20they%20happen.&text=The%20Max%20Planck%20Institute%20of,natural%20disasters%2C%20such%20as%20earthquakes