Your animals are preparing for Dolly, too

HARLINGEN - Don't be surprised if Hurricane Dolly strikes fear in the hearts of your pets and animals roaming the wild.

For centuries, eyewitnesses have reported strange behavior in animals before a natural disaster strikes. The accounts range from reports of anxious birds fleeing before an earthquake to animals stampeding toward hilltops before the 2004 tsunami that struck Indonesia.

Here in the Rio Grande Valley, local veterinarians and biologists say they've seen few instances of odd animal behavior prior to storms or hurricanes. But it does happen, said Amir de la Garza, wildlife biologist at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.

"I do see a little bit of change (in behavior) in bad weather," de la Garza said.

While out in the field Tuesday, de la Garza said he noticed no unusual behavior among animals. But before severe thunderstorms in the past, he's seen a flurry of activity.

"I'll just see more of them that day," he said, referring to deer, javelina, bobcats and rabbits that populate ranches in South Texas. "They don't act differently, exactly ... there are just more of them."

Animals sometimes show more sensitivity to weather changes like dips in air pressure than do humans, said John Young, a mammologist at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Some research has suggested that seagulls, for example, return to land once the barometric pressure drops, he said.

Mammals might also hear phenomena that humans miss, like rumbles in the earth's crust before an earthquake.

"Some animals, like elephants, seem to get early warnings (of disasters) ... it's all still being researched," Young said.

In a 2005 article for The Ecologist magazine, biologist Rupert Sheldrake discussed accounts of odd behavior among animals before disasters. He cites pets' reactions before air raids during World War II, cats hiding before a Seattle earthquake and elephants moving to high ground before the tsunami.

"With very few exceptions, the ability of animals to anticipate disasters has been ignored by Western scientists, who dismiss stories of animal anticipations as anecdotal or superstitious," Sheldrake wrote.

In some cases, animals are taking cues from humans and their reactions, Young said.

If your pets act distressed as Hurricane Dolly approaches or arrives, try to keep them calm and make sure they don't hurt themselves, said Harlingen veterinarian Kathryn Dittman. Keep them inside and give them enough food and water to last for a few days.

As for wild animals, it's best to trust that their instincts - and reactions to the storm - will keep them safe, said Linda Miller, assistant manager at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

"Animals are pretty smart - they get out of the way when something's approaching," she said.

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Melissa McEver covers health and environment issues for Valley Freedom Newspapers. She is based in Harlingen and you can reach her at (956) 430-6252.