Animals are often much smarter than we give them credit for. Animals have been observing humans as the dominant species for thousands of years and seem to know a lot about what’s going on, in some cases, before even scientists know.
Animals And Their Unique Senses
Animals have diverse ways of communicating with their unique sense. These often double as unique detectors, including visual, tactile, auditory, and chemical signals. For example, dolphins can detect changes in ultrasound, and elephants can feel the changes in vibrations miles away.
Sensing Earthquakes
Many animals have been surviving on this planet for far longer than we have, and they’ve developed their own survival system. Many animals can detect when an earthquake is going to happen even before humans do. Their behavior changes. Birds fly away, and snakes have even been observed leaving their dens just before an earthquake. The observations are all anecdotal, but with enough research, there could be merit to this behavior.
Sensing Storms
Just like earthquakes, many animals can sense when a storm is coming. It’s believed that cattle, birds, and even pets can sense the change in air pressure, wind direction, and even low frequencies that we as humans are oblivious to. Elephants can detect the frequency changes in the ground and will head towards the storm in search of fresh rainwater.
Dogs Detecting Cancer
Dogs have been bred for so long that they have a keen sense of what what makes us tick. They learn a person’s behavior and can detect underlying conditions like cancer before even doctors could diagnose it. The more bonded a dog is with an individual, the more they know about our behavior and abnormalities in it.
Apes and Human Behavior
Apes’ intelligence has been severely underrated in history, and only recently have they started to be understood. Apes are so clever that they can pick on cues that a human doesn’t understand something. If they understand the context better, they will try to communicate and teach them.
Detecting Seizures
Dogs are amazing at learning our behavior and can notice changes in it that we otherwise wouldn’t. Some dogs can sense that a seizure if immiment, and may try to alert their owner by whining, and staying close to them. It is believed that they can sense a change in body odor and a subtle change in behavior.
Goats Detecting Volcanic Activity
Goats that live on Mount Etna in Sicily seem to be able to sense when volcanic activity is going to increase. A team of scientists tagged some of the goats and noticed that they behaved erratically. The goats will flee the mountain to avoid being caught up in the erupting volcano. Their behavior is most likely due to a change in vibrations or changes in the air.
Terrestrial Animals Predicting Tsunamis
Elephants and flamingos have been seen migrating to higher ground ahead of tsunamis. It is believed that they can detect the earthquake beforehand and know that the flooding will follow afterward through instinct.
Sharks Predicting Hurricanes
Researchers have noticed that sharks with GPS trackers off the coast of Florida have gone down to much deeper water before a hurricane arrives. They believe that the sharks can detect the change in water pressure way before the hurricane gets close.
Thrushes And Hurricanes
Researchers found out that by looking at the way a thrush species’ breeding behavior changes, they can accurately predict how bad the Atlantic hurricane season will be. The veeries seem to be able to know when tropical storms are coming months before they arrive. They do this to wait out the storm before heading across the ocean.
Animal Cognition
Studying interspecies communication helps us understand animal cognition. It reveals how they perceive the world, their preferences, and thoughts. This interaction allows direct questioning and comparison between species.
Future Of Further Research
Animals constantly surprise us with their cognitive and communicative abilities. By studying how they anticipate our actions, we gain insights into their complex minds and strengthen our bonds with them. Further research will continue to reveal the depths of their understanding.
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