When an earthquake of magnitude 5.2 hit Southern California earlier this week, the elephants at San Diego Zoo Safari Park reacted with incredible accuracy. Three adult females immediately closed in to form an “alert circle” around two young calves, Zuli and Mkhaya, protecting them from harm. The moment was caught on surveillance footage as a herd of elephants coalesced into formation an. When the ground shook.
The Instinct of the Alert Circle
This defensive manoeuvre, an “alert circle,” is a long-documented habit of elephants. Adults stand with their faces facing outward as the front line of defence, while the younger members of the herd are positioned safely in the interior. Joshua Plotnik, an expert on elephant behaviour at Hunter College, describes it as follows:behaviourthe the “They group together, the adults on the perimeter, and push the young ones into the middle.”
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How Elephants Sense Danger
Elephants possess a unique ability to detect seismic activity through their feet and ears, often sensing danger before it fully arrives. Plotnik notes that similar behaviour was observed before the 2006 Boxing Day Tsunami in Southeast Asia, where elephants reportedly moved to higher ground ahead of the incoming waves. Their response is not just fast — it’s perceptive, rooted in a kind of environmental awareness we’re only beginning to understand.
These nuanced responses show more than mere instinct; they show the profound social intelligence of elephants. They grieve, empathise, and look out for each other — behaviours that reflect the best of human nature. But as elephant numbers dwindle from poaching and habitat destruction, the need to learn about and conserve them grows more pressing.
A Reminder of What’s at Stake
The alert circle at San Diego Safari Park is more than a display of survival; it’s an emblem of solidarity and compassion. In times of crisis, these creatures teach us that strength comes in numbers. Their behaviour is a subtle but forceful call: to watch each other’s backs, to remain rooted, and to protect what’s most important — when the earth beneath us begins to tremble.
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