Elephants' Extraordinary Reaction During Earthquakes

A video shared from a zoo in San Diego shows a herd of elephants displaying unusual behavior during an earthquake.

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The morning earthquake was captured on video at the zoo, showing African elephants instinctively forming a circle—known as an 'alert circle'—as soon as the tremors began.

Zoo spokesperson Emily Seninger explained that this behavior, known as an 'alert circle,' is meant to protect the entire herd—including the young elephants—from potential danger.

Emily explained that elephants can sense sound vibrations through their feet.

Emily further shared that the herd returned to normal behavior after about four minutes, but stayed close together for a while following the earthquake.