Ndlula, Umngani and Khosi — scramble to encircle and shield the two 7-year-old calves, Zuli and Mkhaya, from any possible threats.

A herd of elephants at the San Diego Zoo acted on instinct and formed an “alert circle” around their young to protect the calves against the earthquake that rattled Southern California on Monday, amazing video shows.

The zoo reported the herd returned to normal behavior a few minutes after the earthquake, though they continued to remain close.