How Animals Help Us Survive Disasters

Animals have always had an indestructible ally in their fight for survival: their closeness to nature. Their sharp survival instincts and their adapting skills are the only means of staying alive in a – literally – wild, wild world. We, humans, have lost this deep connection to our surroundings and our survival instincts are now dozing off and purring quietly, while we enjoy the “commodities” in our lives.

But if you`re a survivalist or a prepper, then you need to regain the skills people have long lost, to maximize their chances of survival. Now, this may sound like a perfect job for Miyagi – the sensei from Karate Kid – not for you or your family, but here`s the thing: you don`t need to get ready for living with lions and chasing gazelles to stay alive. You simply need to learn a few lessons from the animal kingdom that will help you survive the coming disasters.

For example:

#1: Stockpile food for the coming harsh times

source: www.psychologytoday.com

The little adorable squirrel that you feed peanuts in the park can teach you a lesson or two about stockpiling. They gather enough food to last them 3-4 months and bury it in the ground. The red squirrel buries all the food in one place, while the grey squirrel scatters the food in multiple spots, to make sure they still have enough for the winter, even if some other animal finds their stock.

Just knowing these facts about squirrels teach you two lessons about preparedness:

1. You need to stockpile food for at least 3-4 months, in case a disaster or crisis happens.

2. You shouldn`t store it in one single place. In case looters steal your stockpile or if a flood or fire destroys it, you`ll still have some spare food at another location.

#2: Build yourself a good, solid shelter

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From birds to wolves, animals try to find or build the most solid shelters for themselves and their families. Whether we`re talking about hollow trees that animals “rent” or carefully woven bird nests, these shelters have one property in common: they`re meant to protect the inhabitants from cold, wind and danger. An animal without a shelter is vulnerable to any attacks from the outside world, turning it into a walking (or hopping) target.

This principle applies to humans, as well. The more solid your shelter is, the more protected you are from danger. Home defense is essential if you want to keep your family safe and sound in case of an earthquake or of social chaos. Take any measure necessary to turn your home into an urban fortress, sturdy as a rock and unbreakable from the outside. You can build yourself a safe room or even a bunker, if you want maximum safety. This way, you can hide your own vulnerabilities inside your personal protection shell.

#3: Adapt to the environment 

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Animals have always been deeply connected to the environment they live in. That`s why they`re so good at anticipating danger: they know the surroundings by heart and they`ve already perfected their flight or fight response.

In our world, these instincts and skills can be regained and perfected through emergency drills. These help you know your surroundings better and see them with the eyes of a survivalist. Let me give you an example: imagine tomorrow there`s an earthquake. Which parts of your house would be most dangerous in this situation? If you got out of the house, which would be the safest escape route to your safe haven? What parts of your neighborhood should you avoid? What route would you choose if there was chaos on the streets?

These are questions that make you see your surroundings in ways you haven`t even thought of before. It`s crucial that you consider them from a survivalist`s point of view, so you can create the best survival plan you can for yourself and your family. So if you haven`t organized a drill before, it`s high time you did it.

#4: Only the fittest survive

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When I say fittest, I don`t mean the six-pack athletic kind of person who doesn`t miss a day at the gym. I`m talking about the fittest to survive. The one who`s prepared for any disaster or crisis. The one who`s both informed and skilled to survive and also able to protect his family against the coming dangers.

If you`re already a survivalist or prepper, you already know the steps you need to take to get there: stockpiling, home defense, drills, training your reflexes to improve your response time, staying informed… these are all crucial pieces of your survival puzzle. Once you gather them all, that`s when you can say you`re fit to survive. Don`t worry, it`s not as difficult as it may seem. It just takes time and patience.

#5: Families stick together

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Have you ever seen the way a cat reacts when its babies are in real or apparent danger? If you have, I hope you haven`t experienced it the hard way. Animals can get vicious when it comes to protecting their families. I`m sure you understand that very well, you`d probably do anything it takes to keep your loved ones safe, too.

But protecting your family doesn`t only protect them, it also protects you. When you fight for a cause, you fight better, faster and you`re more willing to succeed. Just thinking of your family will make you a better survivalist, knowing they might get hurt or even die if you don`t do your very best will keep your mind and your body at top performance all throughout the crisis. So whenever you`re facing danger, just think of the ones you love. You`ll find the strength to get over any disaster.

By Alec Deacon