1 . Can Animals Predict Earthquakes?

The belief that animals can predict earthquakes has been around for centuries. In 373 B.C., historians recorded that some animals deserted the Greek City of Helice in groups just days before a quake hit the place.     1     Fish moving violently and chickens that stop laying eggs were reported. Countless pet owners claimed to have witnessed their dogs and cats acting strangely before the ground shook.

    2     It was documented in news reports that three days before the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, thousands of toads (蟾蜍) appeared on the streets in Mianzhu, a city hit very hard where 2,000 people were killed. Also snakes reportedly left their homes and headed for safety several days before the destructive earthquake.

    3     Some theories are that they feel movements, or weak “shocks”, in the earth before humans do; or that they become aware of gases going out of the earth. Another belief is that animals are very much in tune with Earth’s magnetic (磁性的) field, so they detect electrical signals caused by electromagnetic field changes, causing them to pay attention to the warning that an earthquake is about to happen.

The United States Geological Survey states that there has been no concrete evidence for the fact that animal behavior has a relationship with the occurrence of an earthquake.     4     American experts on earthquakes are also skeptical. They think that animals may have strange behavior at any time due to other reasons—because they are hungry, defending their “countries”, or are about to face a dangerous situation.     5     They continue to follow the “anecdotal evidence”. The hope is that one day what they have learned will prove to be extremely useful in predicting earthquakes more accurately, thus saving millions of lives.