The 5.2 magnitude earthquake that shook Southern California on Monday may have provoked a collective shrug from humans in the region, but a few elephants in San Diego took the tremor very seriously.
A video taken at the San Diego Zoo shows the action unfold: Five African elephants are basking in the morning sun until the camera begins to shake and a tremor sends the animals scrambling toward one another.
A few moments later, almost in unison, the elephants form a tight circle, with the older elephants surrounding the younger calves. The herd remains in formation through the end of the video, facing outward with ears extended, as if on high alert for threats.
The earthquake, which struck around 10 a.m. on Monday, had its epicenter near Julian, Calif., about 60 miles northeast of San Diego. There were no reports of injuries or damage, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
The response from the elephants was a defensive position known as “bunching,” and is a typical reaction to threats, said Joyce Poole, a conservation biologist with a doctorate in elephant behavior from Cambridge University. “They feel more secure when they are close together,” she said.
When bunched, elephants often have their tusks pointed out, ears extended, eyes opened wide and trunks out, trying to smell potential threats. The formation, “like the spokes of a wheel,” Dr. Poole said, gives the group a 360-degree view of their surroundings to pinpoint any danger. The younger members instinctively seek out the most protected position inside the circle, she said.
In San Diego, the earthquake put on display some particulars of this group’s dynamics, Mindy Albright, a curator of mammals at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, told The Associated Press.
A female calf, known as Mkhaya, sought the safety of the inner circle of elephants, but a male calf, named Zuli, squared up with the matriarchs on the outside, striving to display his courage and independence, Ms. Albright said. Two of the older female elephants — Ndlula, Zuli’s mother, and Khosi, a teenage elephant who helped raise him — can be seen patting him on his sides and face with their trunks as if to say “things are OK,” and “stay back in the circle,” Ms. Albright said.
Researchers believe elephants are able to feel tremors through their feet, allowing them to sense tiny vibrations — caused by thunder, calls from other elephants or stampedes by other animals — even at long distances. “They detect that animals are running, and therefore there is something potentially to be fearful of,” Dr. Poole said.
Elephants are also highly intelligent, and they form complex social bonds that allow them to increase their chances of survival, learn skills and pass on knowledge.
“It’s a pretty democratic society,” Dr. Poole said. “Everyone has a say, and everyone can suggest a course of action. But when there’s trouble, everyone will pay attention to the matriarch and do what her behavior recommends.”
In the video, Dr. Poole said, the largest elephant can be seen running toward the camera, while all the other elephants take their cues from her.
This type of behavior can also be observed in humans, she added. When facing danger, humans often run for safety, “and safety usually means somebody older, or somebody you feel who can give you guidance or lead the way.”
The animals repeated the behavior about an hour later during an aftershock, The A.P. reported, but went back to their daily routines when the situation seemed safe.
Jonathan Wolfe is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news.
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