Locals in Linxia, Gansu Province, captured an eerie scene as hundreds of crows lined power cables before a 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the area on December 18.

Residents in the city wondered if this was a sign of an impending earthquake. Professor Su Dechen, said: "Every winter, crows prefer to fly to the city to gather. Because urban areas have a heat island effect and are relatively warm.

"For example, I used to study at China University of Geosciences When winter comes, a large number of crows will appear around the school. They fly here to keep warm at night and then fly away during the day to scatter to other places to find food.

"This is the living habit of crows. Of course, when earthquakes occur, crows also will be disturbed and flee in all directions. Although there have been reports of animals exhibiting abnormal reactions when earthquakes occur, from a scientific point of view, until now, we have not been able to establish an inevitable connection between the abnormal reactions of animals and earthquakes. Therefore, we cannot say that the gathering of crows is a sign of this earthquake."

At least 126 people have been killed in the country's deadliest earthquake for years.

Crows gathered in swarms before the 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Linxia, ​​Gansu. Experts say there is no necessary connection

At 23:59 on December 18, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in Jishishan County, Linxia Prefecture, Gansu Province, causing heavy casualties. Before the earthquake, local residents in Linxia noticed a large number of crows gathering low in the city and wondered whether it was a sign of an earthquake.

In response to this issue that everyone is concerned about, Professor Su Dechen, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, analyzed: "Every winter, crows prefer to fly to the city to gather. Because urban areas have a heat island effect and are relatively warm.

For example, I used to study at China University of Geosciences When winter comes, a large number of crows will appear around the school. They fly here to keep warm at night, and then fly away during the day to scatter to other places to find food.

This is the living habit of crows. Of course, when earthquakes occur, crows also They will be disturbed and flee in all directions. Although there have been reports of animals exhibiting abnormal reactions when earthquakes occur, from a scientific point of view, until now, we have not been able to establish an inevitable connection between the abnormal reactions of animals and earthquakes. Therefore, we cannot say that the gathering of crows is a sign of this earthquake."