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
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Quebec woman buys lotto ticket from daughter's store, wins $1 million
A woman from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Que. won $1 million in a Lotto 6/49 draw and she bought the ticket from her daughter's convenience store.