Here's how solar eclipses affect animals
With a solar eclipse just around the corner, there has been a lot of buzz about protecting your eyes from the sun's rays, but what about our fur-friends?
During a solar eclipse, winds calm, the temperature dips and it quickly turns to night. In that moment, animals can exhibit unusual behaviour.
Birds may hide away and cease singing their songs. Dogs and cats might behave differently too, sensing something is amiss.
"I don't know that it will bother the dog at all, but he might get a little bit agitated, a little unsettled," said Martha Mansel while playing with her family dog, Bender, at the park. "They do sense changes in the environment for sure and they can indicate to us through their behaviour what that impact is. We don't get eclipses very often, so there's not a lot of information stored that I could refer to."
Dr. Mary Thompson, from the Ottawa Humane Society advises pet owners to be vigilant, as changes can be challenging for some pets, leading to increased anxiety. But it’s not just the eclipse itself that can affect pets, human behaviour plays a significant role as well.
"It's probably just if the owner is changing their routine, if you're travelling somewhere where you're not sure if it's going to be really busy or what the traffic is going to be like," said Dr. Thompson.
Thompson notes that eclipse viewing locations could be crowded.
"Be aware they could feel a little bit more stressed. They might not be acting quite their normal selves more just sort of from all these things going on. Just make sure that you've got a nice collar maybe a harness and that they're all identified with either a tag or a microchip. Keep a good eye on them and your surroundings and see what's going on,” Thompson added.
Although a solar eclipse could have animals acting strange, many experts say, one thing your pet does not need is protective eyewear, animals already know to not stare at the sun.
Herd animals, like horses are no different.
"Horses are prey animals and they always have to be ready to run if there's something threatening," said Emily Bertrand, CEO of Royale Equestrian Centre in Barrhaven. "If we have a really bright sunny day and suddenly it gets dark, it's going to take longer for their eyes to adjust to that lighting change, up to 45 minutes. Of course we're going to keep a really close eye on them because we love our horses and we're just going to try to make sure that they're happy, comfortable and relaxed."
No Cause for Alarm
Despite potential changes in behaviour, CTV's science and technology specialist, Dan Riskin says there's no need to worry about animals becoming confused or endangered during a solar eclipse.
"I’m not concerned about the safety of anybody's pets in terms of the eclipse, but it's going to be interesting to pay attention to see how they respond. I mean it's really no worse than turning the lights off for three minutes in your house and then turning them back on, which I think most people’s pets can handle," said Riskin.
"But one thing nobody's really worried is going to happen is that this is going to harm the animals in any way there's no real danger that the animals are suddenly going to be so confused by the eclipse that they are going to die of a heart attack. I don't think that's on anybody's radar."
CTV News Ottawa will have special live coverage of Monday's solar eclipse.
Watch CTVNewsOttawa.ca from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on April 8. You can also tune in to Newstalk 580 CFRA for continuing coverage.
CTV News will have coverage from Kingston, Brockville, Ottawa and the Niagara Region.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Princess Anne to take part in B.C. ceremony bringing new ship into Pacific fleet
Western Canada's first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel will officially be brought into the Pacific fleet today and Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles, is scheduled to take part in its commissioning ceremony.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded west of Vancouver Island
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was reported west of Vancouver Island Thursday evening.
More than half of Canadians say freedom of speech is under threat, new poll suggests
A new poll suggests a majority of Canadians feel their right to freedom of speech is in danger.
How falling for a stranger she met on a beach led this woman to ditch the U.S. for the French Riviera
Niki Benjamin, from the U.S., had travelled to a paradise island to do some soul searching, and her life ended up going in a very different direction when her dog ran up to a stranger.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Feds giving Toronto more than $104M to host 2026 FIFA World Cup
The federal government will provide Toronto just over $104 million in funding to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Police clear encampments as U.S. campus arrests exceed 2,300 amid pro-Palestinian protests
Police ordered pro-Palestinian protesters to clear out of a tent encampment at New York University early Friday, a move that follows weeks of demonstrations and police confrontations at college campuses nationwide that have resulted in more than 2,300 arrests.
Wally, the emotional support alligator once denied entry to a baseball game, is missing
Emotional support animal registrations in the United States reached 115,832 last year, by an industry group’s count. But in the eyes of reptile rescuer Joie Henney, there’s only one: 'Wally Gator.'