San Diego: As a 5.2 magnitude earthquake rippled through Southern California on Monday (April 14) morning, a remarkable scene unfolded at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido. The park's African elephants, who sensed the seismic disturbance, instinctively formed a circle around their youngest members, a behaviour known as an "alert circle" which showcases their protective instincts.
A video of their fascinating response was shared by the park's official handle on X (formerly Twitter) on April 15. The clip showed the elephants' extraordinary ability to respond collectively to perceived threats, even while in captivity.
Have a look at it here:
Elephants Are Naturally Defensive
As per a report by LA Times, when the ground began to tremble at around 10:00 AM, older elephants Ndlula, Umngani, and 18-year-old Khosi quickly formed a shield around the herd’s calves, including 7-year-old half-siblings Zuli and Mkhaya.
“It was really neat to see them come together as a herd to protect the juvenile and then immediately try to survey their habitat,” Mindy Albright, curator of mammals at the zoo, told LA Times. She explained that elephants can detect sound through their feet, helping them sense distant rumbles, a skill that may have enhanced their awareness during the earthquake.
Interestingly, while Mkhaya stayed safely within the group, Zuli was seen positioning himself on the perimeter, attempting to act as a protector, a sign of his growing social role within the herd. “To see that evolution of his social responsibility within the herd is really interesting,” Albright further told the publication.
This Behaviour is Said to Be Ancestral
According to the report, this behaviour mirrors how elephants react in the wild when they face predators or danger — by forming a shield around the most vulnerable. Herd elders typically decide whether to flee, investigate, or resume normal activities, relying on a complex web of communication, including infrasonic rumbles that travel over long distances and are undetectable to human ears.
An elephant herd displayed a similar response during the 7.2 magnitude Baja California quake in 2010.
