Humans have developed sophisticated machines and technology to be able to predict and sense natural disasters before they occur. Animals on the other hand, seem to be wired in such a way that they can predict them using a mysterious sixth sense. This sixth sense of animals has been documented over the centuries, and in 373 BCE historians recorded that animals, including rats, snakes and weasels, deserted the Greek city of Helice in large numbers a few days before an earthquake hit that area.
Certain unusual behavior of animals have been accounted for including catfish moving violently, chickens that stop laying eggs, and bees leaving their hive in a panic. There have been a lot of people who said that their pets acted up before an earthquake, and showed signs of nervousness and restlessness.
What causes the animals to act in this way has yet to be discovered. The theories proposed so far are that wild and domestic creatures feel the earth vibrate before humans do, while others state that animals can detect electrical changes in the air or gas released from the Earth upon an earthquake taking place.
Not everyone has accepted the idea of animals forecasting earthquakes; however, in China and Japan the matter has been pursued with seriousness. At the Kanagawa Institute of Technology, scientists are keeping track of animal behavior so as to discover the link between their behavior and their ability to sense earthquakes. For more extensive information check out the video.
In China, the monitoring of animal behavior has helped authorities in predicting when an earthquake was about to hit, and allowed them to alert the citizens of the oncoming danger.
In 2011, an earthquake hit the USA East Coast and animals reacted to it. Watch the video for an account of various animals reactions in the Washington National Zoo.