History Main / ForebodingFleeingFlock

** ''Inverted'' in ''Film/TheLastJedi'': the pack of [[FantasticFoxes vulptex]] vanishing during [[spoiler:the Resistance's DarkestHour isn't ominous, but a sign of hope. After all, they didn't leave through the besieged front door, so there's obviously ''another'' way out.]]

* In the film of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'', the hobbits are hiding from the Nazgul behind a log, and notice all manner of bugs scurrying away from it.

* Invoked in ''Disney/TheLionKing'', when Scar has the hyenas cause a wildebeest stampede as a trap for both Simba and Mufasa. Also, a few seconds before the stampeed appears a flock of birds can be seen taking over.
* In the beginning of ''Disney/{{Dinosaur}}'', a young ''Parasaurolophus'' chases a flying lizard into a thicket when he realizes he's not alone in there. He bolts out, drawing the attention of all the other dinosaurs right before a hungry ''Carnotaurus'' comes charging out.

* In ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}'', Pinoch and Jiminy look for Monstro the whale under water, and every time they ask the sea creatures, they swim away in terror. Later, they run into a fleeing school of tuna, with a hungry Monstro close behind.
* Flocks of crows sound the alarm in ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' whenever Man approaches.

AlwaysABiggerFish is a possible cause for this. See also EvilDetectingDog, PortentOfDoom, BatScare, DisturbedDoves, AStormIsComing, ScaredOfWhatsBehindYou, InvadingRefugees, and FollowTheChaos. Compare DontAskJustRun. If the animals or birds have already left the area before the protagonists arrive, see ItsQuietTooQuiet. If particularly dangerous and aggressive animals flee and ignore everything else, see WhyIsntItAttacking.

** The [[TestosteronePoisoning Manotaurs]] are introduced when a bunch of forest animals -- and Manly Dan the lumberjack -- are seen running from one of them.
** When [[spoiler: Weirdmaggeddon]] starts, the flock now includes the same manotaur. [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg And some gnomes]].

* ''Franchise/JurassicWorld'': Dinosaurs run out of the forest in ''Fallen Kingdom'' after a volcano erupts.

** ''Film/StarWarsThePhantomMenace'': The Trade Federation's invasion panics the animals of Naboo, who all race to get away, heedless of the Jedi trying to keep from getting trampled, or the Gungan who just stands there like an idiot.

One good sign of impending trouble is a swarm of animals fleeing away from it, especially if they're predators fleeing past or even with their prey. Often people find themselves in front of said fleeing swarm without realizing the reason they're fleeing. Alternatively, they take it as a sign they're getting close to the source of the trouble if they're intentionally investigating it.

* Invoked in ''Disney/TheLionKing'', when Scar has the hyenas cause a wildebeest stampede as a trap for both Simba and Mufasa.

* In ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', some of the fluff implies that the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Tyranids]] aren't invading the universe as much as being a much more aggressive example of this. It's also noted that if Tyranid horde heading your way suddenly turns around and gets the hell out of your system, it's not a sign to cheer. It's a sign to pack your stuff and get out of there as well, as the only enemy Tyranids run from are the [[RobotWar Necrons]], and a hive fleet suddenly fleeing is a good sign that your planet is home to a [[SealedEvilInACan Tomb World]]. A Tomb World which [[YouAreAlreadyDead may have just awakened in response to Tyranid fleet entering your system]].

* ''Franchise/JurassicWorld: Dinosaurs run out of the forest in ''Fallen Kingdom'' after a volcano erupts.

* In ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'' episode "Footsteps in the Forest of Fear", while Allura, Nanny and the maids were picking berries they notice some birds flew away and decided to head back, but were too late as they were surrounded by Lotor's monster trees. Later, the rest of the Voltron Force spotted birds circling above the forest, knowing it means danger.

* Sun Tzu, in ''Literature/TheArtOfWar'' counsels being alert for this as it may indicate enemy movement.

* At the beginning of the ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' episode, "Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow", Babs (as Tinkerbunny) is introducing the show when she gets run over by a swarm of animals, who are running from Elmyra Duff. A minute or so later, the animals run past Buster's burrow. Babs is now part of the swarm and warns Buster that Elmyra is coming.

** Film/StarWarsThePhantomMenace'': The Trade Federation's invasion panics the animals of Naboo, who all race to get away, heedless of the Jedi trying to keep from getting trampled, or the Gungan who just stands there like an idiot.

* ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide'' mentions that all animal life on earth instinctively fears and runs away from zombies, so a conspicuous absence of animals or animal noise might be your first clue that the undead are nearby.

** At the beginning of the series, prior to the battle with Vegeta and Nappa, several hordes of animals - including ''dinosaurs'' - are shown fleeing the area where the battle will take place.

* In ''WesternAnimation/FerngullyTheLastRainforest'', Crysta flies over the canopy for the first time and sees a plume of smoke over the horizon. She is then overcome by a flock of birds fleeing the source of the smoke - a human logging team.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndTheMonsterOfMexico'', a pack of wolves runs towards the gang - then ''past'' them, away from the {{chupacabra}}.

* ''Young Samson & Goliath'' episode "Cold Wind From Venus". As Samson and Goliath ride their motorbike they notice flocks of birds and herds of deer fleeing in the other direction. This is due to two robots from Venus imposing "environmental control" over the area - i.e. reducing the air temperature to below zero.

* A particularly famous example is the 2004 Asian Tsunami which had significantly fewer animal causalities than would be expected and a lot of stories about strange behavior beforehand.

* ''Film/StarWarsThePhantomMenace'': The Trade Federation's invasion panics the animals of Naboo, who all race to get away, heedless of the Jedi trying to keep from getting trampled, or the Gungan who just stands there like an idiot.

** ''Inverted'' in ''Film/TheLastJedi'': [[spoiler:the pack of [[FantasticFoxes vulptex]] vanishing during the Resistance's DarkestHour isn't ominous, but a sign of hope. After all, they didn't leave through the besieged front door, so there's obviously ''another'' way out.]]

!!Examples

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[[AC:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'': In the Golden Gate Bridge scene, a huge flock of sea gulls fly past the bridge, signalling that Godzilla is approaching.

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[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:TabletopGames]]

* In ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', some of the fluff implies that the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Tyranids]] aren't invading the universe as much as being a much more aggressive example of this.
** It's also noted that if Tyranid horde heading your way suddenly turns around and gets the hell out of your system, it's not a sign to cheer. It's a sign to pack your stuff and get out of there as well, as the only enemy Tyranids run from are the [[RobotWar Necrons]], and a hive fleet suddenly fleeing is a good sign that your planet is home to a [[SealedEvilInACan Tomb World]]. A Tomb World which [[YouAreAlreadyDead may have just awakened in response to Tyranid fleet entering your system]].

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[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', this was done with spirits instead of animals. A bunch of spirits were fleeing from the collateral damage of a fight between [[GodOfGood Raava]] and [[GodOfEvil Vaatu]].
** Later, the spirits are once again fleeing, though this time they're evacuating from Republic City because of [[BigBad Kuvira]]'s impending assault on the city.

** ''WesternAnimation/BugsBunny'' short "Super-Rabbit": after acquiring super powers similar to Franchise/{{Superman}}'s, Bugs flies to Texas to check out a man who hates rabbits and plans to kill all of them. When he arrives in Texas he finds a multitude of rabbits all running in the same direction. One of them tells Bugs "Run for your life! It's Cottontail Smith and he's gone plumb loco!". A few seconds later Smith appears holding a rifle.

-->''Santa's Little Helper struggles to move forward against the wind.''\\
'''Homer''': [[TimmyInAWell What is it, boy? Fire? Earthquake? Hippies?]]\\
''The wind overpowers SLH and blows him backwards into the air.''\\
'''Homer''': Somehow, the animals are always the first to know.

-->'''Gnome 1:''' Move it, stretch!
-->'''Gnome 2:''' Hey, we're scampering here!

[[AC:RealLife]]

** A particularly famous example is the 2004 Asian Tsunami which had significantly fewer animal causalities than would be expected and a lot of stories about strange behavior beforehand.

* During a [[{{UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar}} American Civil War]] era battle, deer were startled by Nathan Bedford Forrest's [[{{UsefulNotes/RebelsWithRepeaters}} cavalry]]. The deer ran through a Union Army camp minutes before the Confederates arrived. The startled troops then were nearly wiped out.

* ''LightNovel/KnightsAndMagic'': Ernesti realizes this when animals and small Demon Beasts run into him and his classmates in the forest. It turns out this was due to a [[{{Kaiju}} Demon Beast Behemoth]].

* ''LightNovel/KnightsAndMagic'' features this, with Ernesti's moment to shine coming when a huge herd of Demons flees through his school's patrol trip fleeing a massive Division-class[[note]]As in: "Would take an army division(of HumongousMecha to boot) to fight"[[/note]] Behemoth.

* ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'': The Trade Federation's invasion panics the animals of Naboo, who all race to get away, heedless of the Jedi trying to keep from getting trampled, or the Gungan who just stands there like an idiot.