Yellow Lab Senses Earthquake, & Runs For Safety before It Hits

As early as 373 B.C. when historians recorded that residents saw various animals from rats, snakes and weasels, deserting the Greek city of Helice in droves just days before a quake devastated the place. Accounts of similar animal anticipation of earthquakes have surfaced across the centuries since. Catfish moving violently, chickens that stop laying eggs and bees leaving their hive in a panic have been reported. Countless pet owners claimed to have witnessed their cats and dogs acting strangely before the ground shook—barking or whining for no apparent reason, or showing signs of nervousness and restlessness. All these and many more instances give rise to the question of whether or not animals have a special sense given to them by God to get out of dangers way.

In December 2004, when an earthquake accrued under the Indian Ocean a tsunami devastated many areas around India and Indonesia. While thousands of people were killed and injured from the ensuing tsunami, wildlife officials at Sri Lanka's Yala National Park have reported no mass animal deaths. It would seem that that hundreds of wild animals including elephants, leopards, and monkeys were able to sense the danger long before humans. The theory is that the animals took precautions upon themselves that kept them from harms way at the wildlife reserve.

Researchers around the world continue to pursue the phenomenon of erratic behavior among animals prior to earthquakes such as excessive barking or biting by dogs, cats scratching their owners while in their laps before hand, and wildlife running as if they are evacuating from a forest fire. However geologists, in tandem with many animal behaviorists have dismissed these kinds of reports, calling such assurances a simple case of "the psychological focusing effect". This is what happens when people remember strange behaviors only after an earthquake or other catastrophe has taken place. If nothing had happened, they contend, people would not have remembered the strange behavior.

Well on January 9, 2010 an earthquake hit Eureka California. This 6.5 quake did an estimated $12.5 million in damage to Eureka in widespread damage, with homes and businesses throughout the city being effected by the shaking. Humboldt County officials reported that in the whole county there were only 27 minor injuries and one severe injury of a resident who broke a hip. As the days went by however, reports began surfacing about strange animal behavior, from wildlife to pets. Residents reported that just seconds before the quake struck they saw their pets running to get away from something as if they were being chased by a predator.

In this video taken from a surveillance camera inside the Times-Standard Newspaper, you will see firsthand evidence of a yellow lab named Sophie bolting to find her owner moments before the earthquake struck Eureka. I would say that this is proof positive that animals know when the earth is moving before we do. I suggest that the geologists who claim people remember events out of sequence thus we think animals know ahead of time need to reasess the conclusion of their study. It is not, as they say a, "the psychological focusing effect", it is in fact an ability to sense oncoming danger. Whether they felt the quake beginning from deep inside the earth before we did, or they were told by God to run, animals do listen to their instincts.

Men may have instincts also, but more importantly we have knowledge of the world. Thus we can determine if an area is prone to earthquakes, floods, hurricanes or even tornadoes. Unfortunately we are fools, I say fools because even with a higher intelligence we still continue to build our homes and cities in areas that constantly get devastated by natural disasters. Then we accuse God of being cruel for allowing humans to be killed and maimed from our foolish decisions. Well, enjoy this short 26 second video of a dog who listened to the instinct God gave her.