Question 60 – How did all the animals fit in the Noah's ark?
In the section dealing with questions at the intersection of faith and science, I would like to include at least two that directly address the biblical account of historical events. One of the most frequently questioned and criticized narratives is how God destroyed a corrupt humanity through a flood. Many related questions arise concerning this event. How did the animals get into the ark, and how could they all fit? If we consider the story to be true, was the flood global or merely local? Where did all that water come from, and where did it go? In this response, we will focus on the logistical aspects of these questions, while the following inquiry will address the topic more generally.
"And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood." (Genesis 6:12-14a)
The Bible describes that due to the overwhelming corruption of humanity, God decided on a radical solution—an event of unprecedented destruction that wiped out the planet. The only survivor of this catastrophe was the righteous Noah, along with his family and various representatives of the animal kingdom. After the waters receded, these creatures began to repopulate the planet, or so the biblical account suggests.
The narrative often faces critique and is perceived by the broader public as more of a fable, allegory, or exaggeration, perhaps not much different in value from Aesop's fables. Even many Christians question its historicity. This skepticism might stem from the multitude of seemingly unsolvable questions that accompany it.
How did all the animals get into the ark? And what about kangaroos? Did they hop across the entire planet from the ark? How could they all fit? And how did they reach distant and isolated parts of the world afterward?
Such questions, and many others, are popular rhetorical "ammunition" for critics and skeptics. However, when considering certain ideas and possibilities proposed by scientists who believe in the historicity of the flood, the event becomes more comprehensible and less improbable. I also wish to highlight that these events occurred several thousand years ago, with no reporter to detail the situation, and the Bible does not aim to provide minute details.
Thus, our reflections will inevitably be speculative and hypothetical. This, however, does not alter the fact that if there are realistic possibilities for how the event could have occurred, it is not reasonable to dismiss it as implausible. Always bear in mind that the description is affirmed by Jesus Christ Himself and, not least, by the Bible itself, both of whose credibility we discussed earlier.
A) How Could the Animals Have Entered the Ark?
The flood event is, by its nature, an absolute miracle and a sovereign act of God. If this event occurred, there is no reasonable cause to doubt that God could have devised a means to bring the animals to the ark. He could have simply directed them toward the ark, where Noah would have taken them aboard. While we do not know the exact logistics involved, if God is indeed omnipotent, there were countless ways to facilitate this.
B) How Did Distant Animals, Such as Pandas or Kangaroos, Reach the Ark? How Did the Surviving Animals Then Return to Their Places on the Planet?
It is crucial to recognize that if the flood truly took place, the continental layout was likely different from what it is today. Among scientists advocating for creationism, there is a popular theory regarding an original supercontinent, which the Bible possibly references (Genesis 1:9).
This landmass was only later divided by the catastrophic flood. Creation scientists find promising evidence and explanatory models for this theory. If this indeed was the case, the animals might not have needed to travel extraordinarily long distances and could have been quite close to the boarding site. Even if the single-continent model is incorrect, there are still many reasons and arguments explaining the current distribution of fauna. Even evolutionists concede the possibility that animals historically migrated via routes like the Bering land bridge. It is not excluded that there were historical land "bridges" between continents. The repopulation of the planet could have occurred through gradual migration processes taking centuries or by means such as "vegetation rafts," where animals traveled across these floating debris after floods. It is also highly probable that humans, after being scattered following the confusion of languages at Babel, helped distribute many animals across the world.
Additionally, if God was capable of directing animals to the ark, I see no sensible reason to doubt that He could assist in repopulating the earth.
C) How Could All the Animals Fit into the Ark?
They could indeed fit, and quite likely, there was ample space remaining for their sustenance. Numerous scholars have conducted mathematical calculations concerning the ark's required capacity, and their results are extremely reassuring.
Due to uncertainties about the biblical cubit measurement, the ark's exact dimensions remain undefined. Yet, even with the lowest assumptions, there is still sufficient space for all the animals. An overview of the main factors relevant to the calculations includes:
Noah was not required to bring representatives of all existing fauna onto the ark. Aquatic creatures, for instance, could survive in the water, albeit perhaps in limited ways, even if saltwater and freshwater mixed. Similarly, he did not need to take insects and various invertebrates, which could survive on inundation deposits (and the same applies to plants and their seeds).
Estimates of existing animal species count into the millions. Yet defining clear boundaries for each species presents a challenge. This is likely the reason skeptics consider the animal "rescue mission" implausible. Millions of species indeed would not fit on the ark. However, most of this number consists of arthropods, which need not have been on the ark, and even if they were, they are very small and take little space. From millions, we arrive at only a few tens of thousands of species worth considering. The actual number, however, might have been much smaller. The Bible uses a different definition of the biological species than the contemporary one. For example, horses, zebras, and donkeys could descend from a single "proto-horse." Similarly, various dogs and wolves likely shared a common ancestor (though this should not be confused with evolution). Therefore, some scholars conclude that Noah only boarded a few thousand animal species, which represent today's (through natural selection, broader) species.
The ark's minimum dimensions were 135 x 22.5 x 13.5 meters, with three decks. This represents a storage space of approximately 40,000 m³, equating to more than 520 livestock train cars. Scholars conclude that the boarded animals occupied only about 20% of the ark's interior space! The cages could be stacked to save space, allowing plenty of room for food and waste management.
Consider that most animals are small in stature; even larger animals could be taken aboard as juveniles.
To minimize food consumption, some species might have been in a hibernation state.
As you can see, there are numerous solutions to this seemingly insurmountable problem. The discussions and considerations in this response demonstrate that these challenges and questions do not undermine the credibility of the biblical account of the flood.
Summation
While it is not possible to speak dogmatically about the details concerning the flood, numerous plausible and promising scenarios exist for how the biblical account could have happened.