See the Amazing Way Elephants Protected Their Calves During an Earthquake

Elephants made sure to keep their calves safe during a scary situation. When a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit San Diego on April 14, elephants at the city’s zoo quickly sprung into action.

As the San Diego Zoo Safari Park explained on X, elephants have the unique ability to feel sounds through their feet.

As such, they formed an “alert circle” during the earthquake that shook Southern California. That behavior, the zoo’s post said, is a natural response to perceived threats to protect the herd.

While in their circle, the elephants “sort of freeze as they gather information about where the danger is,” Mindy Albright, a curator of mammals at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, told The Associated Press.

Video of Elephants Protecting Their Young

The zoo shared a video of the incredible moment on social media. In the clip, as soon as the ground started to shake, the elephants gathered together in the center of their enclosure. The animals proceeded to form a circle in order to protect the youngest members of the herd.

“It’s so great to see them doing the thing we all should be doing—that any parent does, which is protect their children,” Albright told the outlet.

According to the zoo, the elephants went back to normal shortly after the earthquake. They did, however, stay close together in the immediate aftermath.

In a separate statement to The Washington Post, Albright noted, “It’s so cool because elephants are so much like humans in how they come together as a family unit. They have such a tight family unit [and] that survival strategy is really strong with them.”

“For them to just be so in tune with their environment and paying attention to the environmental cues, it’s really something that you want to see them still hone in on,” Albright added. “It’s a measure of their health to see them respond like this.”

Stronger together 🐘

Elephants have the unique ability to feel sounds through their feet and formed an "alert circle" during the 5.2 magnitude earthquake that shook Southern California this morning. This behavior is a natural response to perceived threats to protect the herd. pic.twitter.com/LqavOKHt6k

— San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (@sandiegozoo) April 14, 2025