Throughout history, cultures have documented the terrible power of Mother Nature as revealed in the form of natural disasters. The eruption of a volcano, a powerful hurricane, tornadoes, earthquakes, blizzards, and avalanches- all of these and more can strike without warning and kill hundreds or thousands within minutes. This is especially true today with millions of people congregated into cloistered city complexes.
As humans, we have only technological means to obtain forewarning of a natural disaster. We have lost touch with our primal senses- senses that animals have retained. Here, we will discuss some of the warning signs that animals are able to give us and explain how they work.
The Earth and its atmosphere produce specific signals that animals can pick up on which warn them of impending natural events. Sometimes these signals are sounds outside the range of human hearing or are too faint for us to sense. Many animals, like dogs, for example, have a broader sense of hearing then we do. Bats, elephants, and deer have a similar range of hearing to dogs and will react to impending disasters much in the same way.
Not willing to trust the safety of their families to the word of local authorities, preppers shirk conventional wisdom and take advantage of the superior senses of animals to warn them of an impending natural disaster.
Dogs make excellent disaster detectors due to their heightened senses combined with their affinity for humans. A dog, for instance, may start barking uncontrollably at what seems to be nothing. In reality, they are probably reacting to sound waves from the Earth which foreshadow an earthquake.
Not only can they hear the warning sounds of an impending earthquake, but they can detect dangerous gases before they build to toxic levels. If a dog refuses to enter a specific part of the house- especially a basement or lower room- you may have a radon problem and should obtain a radon detector immediately.
We think of birds as being as unpredictable as the wind, but they have regular seasonal behaviors. If a bird deviates from those behaviors- especially migratory birds- it may indicate the coming of a severe storm.
Bees are extremely sensitive to their environment. Before a storm or other natural disaster, bees hurry back to their hive and take shelter. If you notice the bees suddenly vacating an area, it might be a good idea to do the same.
Fish are sensitive to the electrical conductivity of the water they live in. If an electrical storm is imminent, they will flit into deeper water, hoping to escape the risk of a lightning strike.
Frogs are also well attuned to the soil and the water in and around it. Before a heavy rain or storm, they will move to higher ground. If you see a frog on top a hill or other raised object, you would be wise to head indoors asap.
With their unequaled ability to detect and process auditory input, bats can sense very minute changes in background noise. If you see these nocturnal creatures flying during the daytime, it might be an indicator that a dangerous natural event is about to take place.
Cows may seem slow-witted, but they can detect things we cannot. If you see cows moving to higher ground than where they would normally be, a storm might be on the way.
Chances are, you will never have the opportunity to spend much time with elephants. But it’s still interesting to take note of their incredible disaster predicting powers. Elephants have very acute hearing. This enables them to predict earthquakes and tsunamis. They also have a magnificent sense of smell and can detect changes in weather and other forms of danger from a great distance.
On top of their supremely acute senses is the elephant’s legendary long-term memory. While they have relatively poor eyesight, elephants remember the faces of other elephants and humans even after years of separation.
In 2009, Scientific American wrote, “Remarkable recall power, researchers believe, is a big part of how elephants survive. Matriarch elephants, in particular, hold a store of social knowledge that their families can scarcely do without, according to research conducted on elephants at Amboseli National Park in Kenya.”
Not so “Dumbo” after all.
The familiar and adorable ladybug also has predictive powers. While they are usually solitary creatures, ladybugs will swarm before the approach of a heatwave.
So, for better preparedness, keep a watchful eye on the animals around you. They just might save your life.
