Animals at the Washington zoo predicted the earthquake.

On the Indonesian coast struck by the devastating 2004 tsunami, hours before the disaster occurred, several domesticated elephants broke free from their chains and fled to the tops of nearby hills. Similarly, hours before the earthquake that devastated the city of L'Aquila in central Italy, groups of frogs moved to higher ground. In 1975, in China, snakes and frogs awoke from their winter lethargy weeks before a magnitude 7,3 earthquake. These are just a few analogous accounts that, since antiquity, have spoken of the mysterious ability that various animals seem to have to foresee impending natural disasters and to try to protect themselves from them. However, until now, it has not been possible to produce scientific proof of this curious phenomenon.

The evidence has just emerged, thanks to the earthquake on Tuesday, August 23rd, which struck the east coast of the United States, with its epicenter in the state of Virginia.

No one in Washington realized that a major earthquake was approaching. Or rather, no human. Because at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, one of the largest in the country, many animals suddenly changed their usual behavior before the astonished gaze of their keepers, indicating that, for them, something abnormal was about to happen.

About 10 seconds before the earthquake, several monkeys abandoned their feeding grounds and climbed high into the trees. The flamingos also seemed to have sensed something: all the individuals in the large flock that lives in the zoo gathered in a tight group shortly before the earth began to shake, and remained so for the entire duration of the earthquake.

Even more incredible was the behavior of the lemurs, particularly the red variety (Varecia rubra), which began sounding danger alarms 15 minutes before the earthquake. These alarms repeated themselves just seconds before the earth began to vibrate. Demonstrating fear, a zoo elephant hid and, after the earthquake, refused to leave its hiding place to eat.

Although it did not cause significant material damage, the 5.8 magnitude earthquake was clearly felt throughout the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park area. All animals, staff, and visitors were safe. However, the zookeepers, who were feeding the animals at the time of the earthquake, reported strange changes in their behavior.

The earthquake struck the great ape enclosure just as they were being fed. About 5 to 10 seconds before the quake, many apes, including Kyle (an orangutan) and Kojo (an African lowland gorilla), abandoned their food and climbed to the top of the tree-like structures in the enclosure.

A few seconds earlier, Mandara (a gorilla) had let out a shrill cry, grabbed her baby, Kibibi, and also gone to the top of the structure.

Iris (an orangutan) began vocalizing roars – sounds that the species normally reserves to express states of extreme irritation – well before the earthquake, and continued these vocalizations throughout the duration of the tremor.

Red lemurs began emitting alarm calls about 15 minutes before the earthquake, and did so again as soon as the tremor ended. Howler monkeys also emitted alarm calls at the end of the earthquake.

In the serpentarium, all the snakes began writhing during the earthquake. Normally, they remain inactive during the day. Murphy, the zoo's Komodo dragon, sought shelter in his burrow.

Keepers were feeding the beavers and some species of ducks and mallards when the earthquake struck the pond where they live. The birds immediately jumped into the water. The beavers stopped eating, stood on their hind legs and looked around before running back into the water. They all remained in the pond for about an hour, when some beavers returned to land to continue feeding.

All the lions forgot their pride and remained crouched on the ground, staring intently at the building that served as their shelter.

Damai (a female Sumatran tiger) jumped frantically throughout the earthquake. Her behavior returned to normal after the earthquake.

During the earthquake, all specimens of some deer species abandoned their covered enclosures and began running around, agitated, throughout the area reserved for them.