Elephant Herd Protects Young During Southern California Earthquake in Moving Display of Animal Instinct

A powerful earthquake that struck Southern California on Monday prompted a remarkable display of animal instinct at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, where a herd of African elephants immediately sprang into action to protect their young during the seismic event, The AP reports.

Footage captured at the park shows the five elephants, basking in the morning sun, suddenly reacting as the ground began to shake. The older elephants – Ndlula, Umngani, and Khosi – can be seen scrambling to encircle and shield the two 7-year-old calves, Zuli and Mkhaya, from any potential danger.

The herd remained huddled together for several minutes, with the adult elephants facing outward, ears spread and flapping, exhibiting a posture of vigilance even after the shaking subsided. The earthquake, measuring 5.2 in magnitude, was felt as far away as Los Angeles, 120 miles from San Diego.

While the earthquake caused some minor damage, such as rockslides and items falling off shelves in the town of Julian, there were no reported injuries. However, it clearly spooked the elephants, triggering a natural response honed over millennia.

“Elephants are highly intelligent and social animals that have the ability to feel sound through their feet,” explains Peggy Albright, lead keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “When they perceive a threat, they often bunch together in an ‘alert circle,’ typically with the young clustered in the center and the adults facing outward to defend the group.”

The video illustrates this behavior perfectly, showing one of the calves running for refuge between the adult elephants, a group of matriarchs that have all played a role in raising her. The other calf, Mkhaya, the only male, initially remained on the edge of the circle, seemingly wanting to demonstrate his courage and independence.

However, Khosi, a teenage elephant who helped raise him alongside his biological mother, Ndlula, repeatedly tapped him on the back with her trunk, and even on the face, in a gentle yet firm manner, as if reassuring him that everything was okay and urging him to stay within the protective circle.

Albright explained that Zuli, still considered a baby, is coddled as such.