Incredible Footage Shows a Herd of Zoo Elephants Protecting Each Other During an Earthquake

A few seconds past 10 am on April 14 this year, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook Southern California, sending boulders tumbling down the roads. In the mountain town of Julian, the temblor rocked down picture frames from the walls of a gift shop and the platters in its famous apple pie shops started clattering, SALAR News reported. Pets in homes clambered up to their masters while their masters dunked themselves beneath sturdy tables and desks. Meanwhile, the camera strapped inside the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (@sdzsafaripark) captured profound footage from an elephant yard as it shook in the tremors.

The elephants had just started their breakfast when they sensed the rumblings. Ndlula, Mkhaya, Umngani, Khosi – the females were standing at different points, eating the meal. But once the trembling started, they rushed to gather in the center of the yard, forming what experts call an “alert circle.” Being the only male present there, seven-year-old Zuli scrambled up towards the group to encircle and protect the females, per NPR. Sometimes called the “circle of trust,” this alert circle is a common defense mechanism elephants display when encountering a dangerous situation. The science behind it is rooted in the structure of their ears as well as their reputation for good rapport.

Elephants can listen to sounds that humans can’t hear through the cushion pads on their feet. Experts at Cornell University explain that the structure of an elephant’s ears enables it to sense sounds below the frequency of 20 Hz, a range not perceivable by human ears. In 2004, before a 9.1 magnitude quake hit the Indian Ocean, the elephants in the region had already moved to the higher grounds, according to eyewitness accounts shared by the BBC. Something similar happened when a tsunami was to strike Sumatra in 2010. Elephants there seemed to possess an early knowledge of the disaster.  

In a conversation with CBC, Mindy Albright, curator of mammals at the Escondido, California, shared that elephants possess a remarkable and mysterious ability to detect low-frequency sound vibrationsand even use them to communicate or transmit information. "They've got their ears out. They're listening. They also have the ability to feel sound vibrations through their feet that travel several miles," Albright explained. She added that during the San Diego earthquake, the elephants could have been communicating the whole time. Humans would never be able to know.

"So they're really just sort of in that moment, frozen, trying to gather as much information as they can so they can decide what's our next move? And that's a survival strategy that all elephants have," Albright said. Apart from the impressive science of their hearing, the footage showed the immense family connection these beasts have with each other, an attribute which prompted Zuli to sacrifice his own safety and go on to protect the females of the herd.

"It's remarkable to see that those family bonds are so strong that they come together immediately to care for one another," commented Albright. Joshua Plotnik, an elephant behavior expert from Hunter College, added that elephants are social creatures and they love to “take care of each other.” In moments of threat or danger, like the one seen in the footage, they like to band with each other, forming this circle that teaches us a sagacious lesson about the value of unity, love, responsibility, and connection, especially during dark times.

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