Can animals predict natural disasters?

Talk Description
For more than 100 years, there have been reports of animals behaving unusually before severe thunderstorms, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters. From pets going missing to dramatic changes in behaviour, stories of an animal “sixth sense” continue to capture our imagination. But is there any science behind these claims?

This talk explores what animals might be sensing before natural disasters, how scientists test whether those signals are real, and whether some species respond before humans are aware of the danger. Central to the discussion is the curious case of Sri Lankan elephants during the 2004 Indonesian earthquake and resulting tsunami.
Bio
Stuart Parsons is UC’s Executive Dean of Science and a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences. He is a zoologist who works in the area of sensory biology, particularly behaviour and ecology. As well as being a bat biologist he has researched insects, birds, and marine mammals. His work has taken him all over the world, with projects in Australia, Europe, USA, Central America, South Africa, Taiwan, China, and Thailand. He has never successfully predicted a natural disaster, nor has he tried.