Journal
EARTHQUAKE SCIENCE
Volume 34, Issue 6, Pages 522-530Publisher
KEAI PUBLISHING LTD
DOI: 10.29382/eqs-2021-0037
Keywords
bio-sentinel; giant panda; earthquakes; abnormal behavior; electromagnetic field; P-wave
Categories
Funding
- National Natureal Science Foundation of China [31172097, 31472009, 31772466]
- International Collaborative Giant Panda Project [2012-018]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Research indicates that giant pandas, despite living in a seismically active region, do not appear to perceive pre-earthquake geophysical signals.
It is widely believed that various animal species can sense and respond to the geophysical stimuli that precede earthquakes, especially electromagnetic fields, although supporting field evidence is mostly anecdotal. Here we report on the reactions of four female giant pandas under observation over the three days prior to the Lushan (30.1 degrees N, 103.0 degrees E) magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred in Sichuan province, China, on April 20, 2013. We observed no significant generalized behavioral anomalies indicative of them perceiving an impending earthquake. We also observed no startle behaviors in the 5 s prior to tremors commencing, indicating that these pandas either did not detect or did not respond to precursor P-waves. Our findings suggest that although giant pandas have evolved in, and continue to occupy exclusively, a seismically active range in central China, they do not appear to perceive pre-earthquake geophysical warning signs.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available