How will the eclipse impact wildlife and pets?
KANSAS (KSNT) - With a solar eclipse approaching Kansas, what should pet owners do to keep their critters safe?
27 News spoke to the President and CEO of the Northeast Animal Welfare Foundation Justin Brokar on what pet owners can do to prepare. Brokar says for the most part, pet owners don't have to be as worried about their pets as much as local wildlife.
Brokar says that pet routines are roughly based on their human counterparts whereas wildlife uses sunlight as their clock. He says there's still a chance the eclipse could make pets anxious.
"Their routines might be thrown off a little bit," Brokar said. "They’re not going to notice, most pets are going to be asleep. If you have an outdoor pet, might want to bring them inside, if wildlife is stirred up they might get stirred up."
K-State Veterinary Clinical Professor Susan Nelson says there's probably little to do for pets since they're used to lights being turned on and off. She says there have been some reports of dogs getting anxious in the dark. If you have dogs that could get nervous, it's best to keep them indoors.
While pets likely won't be at risk of damaging their eyes by looking at the sky, some wildlife might exhibit behavioral changes.
Nelson said animals that are normally nocturnal might come out, spiders that trap insects during the day might take their webs down, migratory birds that fly at night might take off and birds that are out during the day might go up to roost.
"You’re going to have a lot of variability on normal behavior patterns on if they’re domestic or wildlife," Nelson said.
At the Topeka Zoo, staff saw changes in rainbow lorikeet behavior during the 2017 eclipse. Animal Curator Shanna Simpson says lorikeets are very vocal during the day and quiet at night. When the eclipse happened, the lorikeets were quiet. She said cicadas that live around the zoo also started making noise that they'd typically do at night.
"The full eclipse [this year] will be less than five minutes," Simpson said. "Personally speaking, it will be a normal day for my pets at home. Professionally speaking, it will be a normal day for our animals at the Zoo. I encourage people to contact their veterinarians if they are concerned about their animals being during the eclipse."
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