Mimicking Nature to Invent an Earthquake Detector

Can mankind build an Earthquake Detector Device based on whatever it is that animals are feeling which warns them of an impending Earthquake? If animals can feel it prior to an Earthquake then surely all we need to do is understand why and how and then mimic that by building a high-tech sensor which does the exact same thing right? This most fascinating subject came up recently in an online think tank when one member stated;