Furry instincts

When crickets stop chirping, it’s time to run: 10 animal early warnings

Image: Zoltan Fekeshazy

Long before radar and satellites, animals have relied on their sensory superpowers to detect natural disasters. From elephants hearing through the ground to ants reacting to tremors and storms in advance, many creatures exhibit behaviors that hint at impending doom—often hours or even days before it hits. Here's a list of 10 real ways animals are believed to detect and respond to natural disasters.

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Elephants can detect low-frequency seismic vibrations through their feet, known as infrasound. These sounds travel great distances through the ground, giving elephants an early warning system for earthquakes.

Field studies in Sri Lanka and Thailand have recorded elephants moving to higher ground hours before tsunamis and quakes.

Image: Chewy

Dogs often display signs of anxiety—pacing, whining, hiding—before storms or earthquakes. In some cases, they have even alerted owners to seizures or cardiac events.

Their acute sense of smell and hearing allows them to detect subtle changes in barometric pressure and even the scent of ozone that precedes a thunderstorm. In quake-prone areas, dogs have been reported barking frantically seconds before tremors strike.

Image: Alexandre Boucey

Sharks can detect shifts in barometric pressure, allowing them to dive deeper before hurricanes strike.

In 2001, tagged bonnethead sharks in Florida were observed diving rapidly in response to Hurricane Gabrielle’s approach. Their pressure-sensitive lateral lines function like an early-warning system for dangerous storms.

Image: Prince Patel

Ants have been observed to alter their foraging behavior and nest structure before earthquakes. Scientists believe they react to changes in soil gases and vibrations.

In addition to earthquakes, ants can also detect approaching storms. Changes in barometric pressure and humidity can cause ants to become more active or retreat deeper into their nests.

Image: Mohamed Fsili

As one would expect, birds are highly responsive to changes in air pressure. Many species change flight paths or stop migrating if a storm is coming.

In 2014, golden-winged warblers abruptly left Tennessee days before a deadly tornado outbreak, only returning after the threat passed. GPS trackers on some of the birds confirmed the sudden 900-mile round-trip escape.

Image: Geoff Brooks

Fish have been recorded jumping out of the water just before earthquakes, possibly reacting to pressure or specific chemical changes.

In Japan, koi and eels exhibited panic-like thrashing and leaping before the 2011 Tōhoku quake. Researchers suggest their specialized senses can detect subtle pressure waves or dissolved gas anomalies in water.

Image: Michelle Gordon

Rats often leave urban areas en masse before major flooding events. Sewer vibrations or scent cues may warn them of the incoming danger.

In India and Bangladesh, mass rat migration has historically preceded flash floods. Their survival relies on quickly identifying danger zones, and some believe their whiskers help detect water movement and even vibrations deep underground.

Image: Peter Fogden

Dolphins may be able to detect algal blooms (red tides) from miles away and often swim clear of affected areas.

Scientists believe their acute echolocation could help them sense chemical changes or detect developing dead zones. In Florida, dolphins have been observed avoiding regions impacted by Karenia brevis blooms long before any visible changes appear in the water.

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Frogs may alter their calls ahead of seismic activity, responding to low-frequency vibrations.

Researchers in Japan recorded changes in frog croaking patterns in the days before the 2011 quake. The frogs emitted less frequent and lower-pitched calls, suggesting discomfort from environmental shifts.

Image: William Warby

Crickets often go silent ahead of disasters. This curious behavior may be linked to their sensitivity to ground vibrations and air pressure changes.

Studies in Indonesia noted decreased cricket chirping before tsunamis. The silence has been proposed as a natural indicator, potentially tied to shifts in humidity or ground tension.

SUCCESS BEYOND SUCCESS

Did You Know These 10 Solo Artists Came Out Of Previous Bands?

Image: zachrie friesen

Breaking out on your own after having found massive success with a collective outfit is not a decision to be taken lightly. Many have done just that, and their careers have gone the way of the Dodo. But a handful of talented and lucky stars have been able to strike gold twice.

Read on and learn about ten incredibly successful performers who emerged from very popular bands of their day.

Image: MD Duran

Diana Ross might be a household name these days, but it wasn’t always the case. Once upon a time, there was a band called The Supremes. Then, management decided to switch it to Diana Ross and the Supremes.

While this went quite well for Diana and the commercial success of the band, it didn’t feel that way for the rest of the Supremes, whose egos were a bit bruised by the whole affair. Eventually, Ross would leave the group entirely, embarking on an extremely successful solo career, including several number-one hits.

Image: Austin Neill

The Commodores was a hit band in the 1970s, and a big reason for that was the co-lead singer of the band, Lionel Richie, who had the voice and the talent to be a star in his own right.

Richie would head off to do his solo thing, and the success of the Commodores propelled his career. Hits like "All Night Long" and "Hello" made it clear that he could still get his groove on but also still drop a ballad on you.

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What do Derek and the Dominos, Cream, and the Yardbirds have in common, aside from cool 1960s hair? The answer is Mr. Slowhand himself, Eric Clapton. These bands enjoyed the talent and artistry of Mr. Clapton’s guitar, and when the time felt right, the axe man moved on to do his solo thing.

Aside from his early albums, Eric Clapton lost the rock sound to a degree and got more acoustic and mild, but the success remained, with classics that resonate to this day.

Image: Abstral Official

Sure, everybody knows who Beyonce is these days. But there was a time when she was part of an ensemble of equals called Destiny’s Child. Granted, she was the leading girl of the group, but still, it was a band.

As the story goes, Beyonce left to pursue a solo career and rose to a fame level that had eluded the popular group she came from.

Image: Alexander Wark Feeney

A person who can play drums in a prog-rock giant band like Genesis and sing at the same time has some serious talent. Phil Collins had the chops and the attitude to front a band from behind the drumkit and even take it to an unprecedented level of fame and success.

When Phil left Genesis, he became one of the biggest solo artists of the ‘80s with a string of hits. He would eventually win an Oscar for Best Original Song as well.

Image: Denise Jans

One of the greatest bands of the 1980s, The Police gave us quite a few hits, from Message in a Bottle to Every Breath You Take, Don’t Stand So Close To Me, King of Pain, etc. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the lead singer and bassist went on to become one of the most successful pop artists of all time.

Penning almost as many hits as with his old band, starring in films, fronting noble causes, and traveling all over the globe, Sting's career has been diverse. He has not only retained but also increased his popularity tenfold.

Image: Martin Castro

You must have done something right in the music business if David Bowie is producing your solo albums. That is the case of Lou Reed, who started his public career as the frontman of The Velvet Underground, a highly artistic music act whose first album cover was painted by Andy Warhol (as you can see, good connections were a recurring theme in Reed’s life).

When he went solo, Bowie produced his iconic Transformer album, which had hits like Satellite of Love, Walk On The Wild Side, and more.

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Few musicians could aspire to invent a musical genre, but the "Prince of Darkness" was one of them. As the lead singer of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne played a huge part in the development of heavy metal music.

And when the whole band thing didn’t cut it for him anymore, Ozzy went on a solo project that led to similar levels of success. Eventually, Ozzy and the guys from Black Sabbath made amends and played together again quite a few times.

Image: Alexander Wark Feeney

Even if you’ve never heard the name Fleetwood Mac, you’ve probably heard their songs. Their music is everywhere and righteously so since it is great. With her voice and stage charisma, Stevie Nicks was an instrumental part of their success.

Her 1981 debut solo album "Bella Donna" was a number-one album and went platinum four times over. In the following years, Nicks played and collaborated with legendary artists like Tom Petty, and made a name for herself beyond her previous band.

Image: Mathew Browne

The Jackson Five were a huge success in the early 70s. They had catchy songs, great voices, and the whole brother-band thing going on for them. Oh, and they had Michael Jackson.

There is no way to overstate the success Michael had in the 80s and 90s as a solo artist. Within 12 years, he released Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous, four albums with more hit songs than most multi-decade bands could only dream of. Yes, he had already found success with his brothers, but as a solo artist, he rose to a different level altogether.