Nature & Environment

Goats and dogs are able to predict earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

By T.K. Randall
December 5, 2024

Image: Earthquake Crack in the Road
Credit: hanonimas / CC BY-SA 3.0 (adapted) Animals may be the key to saving thousands of lives a year - that is, at least, according to the scientists behind a new study who hope to use the behavior of goats and dogs to determine when an earthquake is going to occur or a volcano is going to erupt.

For years, it has been thought that animals have a 'sixth sense' of sorts that is capable of picking up otherwise undetectable signs that something big - such as a volcanic eruption - may be coming.

The scientists hope to tag thousands of animals - including goats, dogs and various farmyard animals - and monitor their movements via satellite to look for the telltale behaviors indicative of an impending natural disaster.

"Ultimately, we hope to launch a fleet of around six satellites and establish a global observation network that will not only provide details of wildlife movements and animal health across the planet but reveal how creatures respond to natural phenomena like earthquakes," said project leader Martin Wikelski of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany.Previous research involving goats on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily showed that the animals became nervous before an eruption and refused to venture onto the higher pastures.

"We have found the behavior of goats is pretty good at predicting large volcanic eruptions," said Wikelski. "They know beforehand what is coming. We don't how they do it, but they do."

Researchers also found that dogs and farm animals around the Abruzzo mountains near Rome reacted in a way that made it possible to predict earthquakes 7 out of 8 times in the last 12 years.

If this behavior could be monitored on a larger scale, it may be possible to save many lives.

"Similarly, we will be able to study animal populations to determine how they are responding to habitat changes triggered by global warming," Wikelski added.

Source: The Guardian

Tags: Volcano, Earthquake, Dog