“The zoo went crazy that day.” A scientist observes animals during a solar eclipse

Residents of North America will be able to observe a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. As it turns out, the phenomenon arouses interest not only among astronomy enthusiasts – biologists are also eagerly waiting for it. During the recent eclipse, scientists observed that it influenced the behavior of some animal species.

How do animals react to a solar eclipse? The first observations were made almost 100 years ago

Animals base their actions on the 24-hour circadian rhythm. It designates moments for sleep, hunting and searching for food. Sunlight also plays an important role in regulating animal behavior. – It affects everything, from plants to animals, said Cecilia Nilsson, a behavioral ecologist from Lund University in Sweden, who is quoted by . What happens when there is no light? Due to the rarity of solar eclipses, their effects on animal behavior remain relatively unexplored. However, scientists already have some observations.

The British station reminds that during the solar eclipse in 1932, entomologist William Wheeler collected over 500 reports of unusual animal behavior. Witnesses then indicated, among other things, that owls started hooting, bees returned to their nests prematurely, squirrels ran into the forests, and farm animals went to their barns.

“The zoo went crazy that day.” Scientist observing animals during a solar eclipse

A more disciplined observation was planned for the August 2017 eclipse. Researchers then looked at the behavior of animals in a zoo in the US state of South Carolina. Adam Hartstone-Rose, a professor of biological sciences and one of the scientists involved in the observation, recalls that a crowd of observers gathered at the zoo. – It was extraordinary. The zoo went crazy that day. Thousands of people came, everyone was excited, he reported.

Hartstone-Rose noticed that some species showed no response to the solar eclipse. These included grizzly bears. Others, however, began activities typical of the evening time. The scientist gives the example of nocturnal birds, which began searching for food almost immediately. Examples of unusual behavior Hartstone-Rose also mentions include giraffes that started galloping as if something scared them. Galapagos elephant tortoises began to mate during the eclipse.

Scientists are preparing for the next solar eclipse. They want to repeat an observation from years ago

According to reports, American researchers do not want to miss the opportunity to observe Monday’s solar eclipse. A group of scientists and volunteers meet again in one of the zoos to look at animal behavior. In addition, Hartstone-Rose asked for the observation of domestic and farm animals and the submission of conclusions, which will be included in a special report.

This year, NASA also joined in observing animals’ reactions. As part of the Eclipse Soundscapes project, over a thousand people will record nature sounds in various parts of the United States during the eclipse. Based on them, scientists will try to determine the behavior of local fauna.