HOUSTON – The total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, will be a historical and rare event. Humans are generally excited to see this natural phenomenon, but it’s also important to consider how animals will be impacted by the unprecedented event. That’s what the Houston Zoo is hoping to do.
The Houston Zoo is welcoming visitors to come witness the eclipse and see firsthand how a variety of different animals react to the experience.
“Have you ever wondered how animals react during an eclipse? Now’s your chance to witness it firsthand,” the Houston Zoo’s website reads.
Since a total solar eclipse creates fairly unique environmental conditions, the current data on how animals respond to them is spotty. KPRC 2 meteorologist Anthony Yanez sat down with Adam Rose, a biomedical science professor at North Carolina State University, to discuss his work with this under-researched topic.
Rose is part of a team that he calls the “Solar Eclipse Safari Research Team.” As the name would suggest, Rose’s unit looks to study how animals in different areas and climates react to these conditions.
“For humans, we feel like an eclipse is about the sun getting dimmed, but also during an eclipse, the temperature drops, the pressure changes, and a lot of species are more perceptive to that shift than we are.”
Rose conducted a study at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, during the 2017 solar eclipse, and he was shocked by how dramatically many of the animals reacted to the event.
A group of gorillas walked in unison towards the typical night area of their enclosure. Giraffes reacted with behaviors that convey anxiety, like galloping. Galapagos Tortoises, typically slow-moving animals, began moving around their enclosure quickly, and two of them began mating at the point of totality.
“I don’t know if [the tortoises’ reaction] is a normal reaction, and no one does, because no one had ever witnessed these animals during an eclipse,” Rose said.
Rose and his team will be watching the 2024 eclipse from a zoo in Fort Worth, Texas. His team is asking everyone to observe animals before, during and after the eclipse, by submitting their findings to his team’s official site.
Jessica Reyes, the manager of public relations and communications at Houston Zoo, said many members of their staff are excited to observe this rare information.
“We don’t know how animals will react, but our animal teams will be monitoring animal behaviors for any changes. If it gets dark enough, animals may believe there has been a disruption to their routine (i.e. feeding schedules) and begin to vocalize. Our zookeepers will monitor the animals and take notes of any behavioral changes.”
For more information about visiting the Houston Zoo for the eclipse, click here.
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Michael Horton
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