Did the Birds in Turkey Know an Earthquake Was Coming?
This is something many people believe after watching a clip showing numerous birds exhibiting strange behavior right before the earthquake in Turkey. Some reports also noted that dogs were acting unusually.
Many birds were flying in the air before the earthquake occurred.
As of now, over 7,800 people have been confirmed dead (more than 5,800 in Turkey and the rest in Syria), with nearly 6,000 buildings in Turkey collapsing due to the devastating earthquake on the morning of February 6 and a series of aftershocks that followed, according to Reuters.
Social media is filled with images captured during and after the earthquake. However, there is one clip believed to have been recorded earlier, just before dawn, when a person noticed a large number of birds flying in the air.
It is evident that many birds seemed to rush out of their nests while it was still dark. They flew chaotically, appearing scared and disoriented. The video is captioned: “Strange behavior of birds observed just before the earthquake in Turkey.”
The clip has garnered nearly 10 million views and has been shared over 15,000 times. Internet users commented:
“The birds sensed it.”
“I’m in the UK, and on February 6, there were also a lot of birds making noise. My whole family found it strange. I wonder if the birds here sensed something too?”
“Animals always know before disasters.”
Many houses in Turkey collapsed after the earthquake. (Photo: Reuters).
The Washington Post also reported that birds were flying erratically across the rooftops of buildings and dogs suddenly howled loudly just before the earthquake struck Turkey and Syria.
Since ancient times, humans have believed that animals can sense disasters before they occur. Some scientific studies suggest that animals can feel minor tremors traveling underground seconds before a stronger earthquake happens. In fact, some animals may sense even before these minor tremors, leading them to exhibit unusual behaviors hours or even 1-2 days prior to a disaster. When sensing such events, animals often become “unusually restless”, such as moving continuously or making loud noises.
