Setting up an earthquake observation station in the zoo

Beijing's capital has recently launched a new earthquake observation station at a wildlife zoo in the southwestern suburbs, using animals as a replacement sensor system for machines.

This observation station will use more than 50 horses, peacocks, snakes, turtles, deer, frogs, donkeys and some other animals in this 240-hectare zoo - where more than 10,000 birds and other animals are live. About 7 observation points are set up on the zoo campus, with each point having a staff member overseeing and recording the daily behavior of animals for the seismic department.

According to seismic experts, unusual behaviors can be observed in many wild species before earthquakes occur as hibernating animals wake up and flee their caves, while aquatic species are Jump on the water. According to zoo observers, before and during the 5.1 Richter earthquake in Hebei Province last July, the parrots were ' unsteady ' with signs that they were not sick.

At the Guangzhou Zoo in southern China also started using animals to predict earthquakes.

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