A 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook Southern California on Monday morning, and the zoo cam captured the elephants at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park scrambling to encircle their young. Whenever there is danger the older elephants form a protective circle — called an ‘alert circle’ — to protect them.
It wasn’t the elephant’s huge ears that alerted them; pachyderms have a unique ability to sense sounds through their feet. On Monday morning, the resident herd at the zoo felt the beginnings of the 5.2-magnitude earthquake and sprang into action.