Can animals predict earthquakes?

Can animals predict earthquakes? 

According to Kuya Kim Atienza's report on "24 Oras" Thursday, fur mom Jhann Aman noticed that her cat looked distracted moments before Bogo City, Cebu was rocked by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake. 

"Nagpanic na ako, lumabas lang po kami sa bahay so fortunately ligtas naman po kami. Hindi ko na-realize na may na-sense ba talaga siya na may paparating na lindol," she said of her pet. 

Fellow fur mom Cherrybelle Tabon also witnessed similar behavior from her dog, who started barking just before the earthquake happened. 

"Iba po 'yung tahol nila, hindi po 'yung tahol na parang makikipagkulitan po sa amo. Talagang tahol po siya na mang-a-alert po talaga, parang pinapalabas po talaga sila," she said. 

Veterinarian Dr. Glenn Albert Almera has explained that animals have mechanoreceptors which make them sensitive to changes in the environment. 

"These are the receptors na nakaka-detect ng changes in the environment. It can be through thermal, temperature, or vibrations," he said. 

However, Almera noted that there are not enough studies that show animals can indeed predict calamities like earthquakes.

Nevertheless, he advised owners to involve their pets when preparing for calamities and disasters. 

"Most of these are anecdotal. When you say anecdotal, these are observed by owners, so merong biases about it," he said. 

"We don't know kung ano 'yung mga aftershock, we don't know what could happen next after this, so include them in the preparation and planning." 

A powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Bogo City, Cebu, on Tuesday evening, leaving 47,221 families affected and 20,000 persons displaced, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). 

On Thursday morning, the NDRRMC reported that the death toll from the devastating earthquake has risen to 72. 

—CDC, GMA Integrated News