The consequences of recent earthquakes in the Atlantic, the tsunami last December, and the recent Hurricane Katrina highlight how small humans are in the face of nature’s wrath. However, paying attention to the instinctive behavioral responses of certain animal species can help us predict impending natural disasters…
The consequences of recent earthquakes in the Atlantic, the tsunami last December, and the recent Hurricane Katrina highlight how small humans are in the face of nature’s wrath. However, paying attention to the instinctive behavioral responses of certain animal species can help us predict impending natural disasters…
The tsunami disaster in December 2004 claimed the lives of approximately 300,000 people in countries bordering the Pacific, while many animals remained unharmed. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain this mysterious natural phenomenon, and it has been noted that some animal species can react quickly to natural threats.
Instinctive Foreboding
The first recorded natural disaster dates back to 2000 BC. Archaeological documents indicate that ancient humans were aware of the forecasting abilities inherent in many animal species. For example, ferrets disappeared from their habitat on the island of Crete just before a massive earthquake struck. A similar phenomenon occurred in China in 1975 when snakes suddenly vanished during winter days. Being cold-blooded animals, they did not move around to forage as usual but instead hid in burrows, resembling hibernation behavior seen in some warm-blooded species. Fortunately, local authorities recognized this abnormal behavior and quickly evacuated residents in the area. Shortly thereafter, a devastating earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale shook the region, destroying most buildings.
Throughout the 20th century, experts documented historical events related to natural disasters, proving that many animal species possess remarkable abilities to predict calamities such as earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and avalanches. Moreover, some species are also capable of sensing human-made disasters. London residents observed unusual behaviors in cats and dogs as ominous signs before bombing raids during World War II…
Do Many Animals Foresee Tsunamis?
A lighthouse keeper in Southern India reported that in December last year, he witnessed a herd of deer suddenly moving toward nearby hills just hours before tsunami waves from the offshore epicenter struck the land. Many witnesses at the Phuket resort in Thailand noted that the elephants used for tourism near the beach trumpeted and broke their chains, running inland before the violent waves hit. From their instinctive sense of an impending natural disaster, flamingos in the area abandoned the lowlands to fly to higher mountains. Workers at a zoo in Malaysia were surprised to see most animals displaying strange behavior, such as seeking shelter and refusing to come out even when it was feeding time.
In Sri Lanka, last year’s tsunami claimed more than 30,000 lives, yet most large animals like elephants, goats, and various wildlife remained unharmed. This tsunami also killed around 2,000 different animals in a sanctuary in Southern India, while wild boars emerged unscathed and safe.
At an aquarium exhibition in Florida, 14 sharks suddenly left their habitat about 12 hours before Hurricane Charlie made landfall in the area last year, despite having never ventured more than 1 kilometer in previous years. According to biologists, the sharks migrated to deeper ocean waters for safety and returned two weeks later, even though they had never exhibited this migratory behavior before.
What Can Humans Learn from Animals?
It is clear that many animal species have detected mysterious dangers from nature that humans may never comprehend. The December 2004 tsunami helped scientists understand some of these mysteries. Many researchers have demonstrated that different species living on Earth possess astonishing innate abilities to foresee natural disasters. Unlike humans, wild animals can perceive and absorb much more information about their surrounding environment. Their instincts are truly exceptional, capable of awakening instinctual senses from great distances; even a slight change in atmospheric pressure can affect this ability. Their greatest advantage lies in their ability to “read” and “see” danger signs from nature, allowing them to escape safely: Biologists believe that humans cannot mimic or learn this ability, although the experiences and instincts of some animals may be very useful for us in predicting dangerous natural phenomena.
Scientists also indicate that wild animals react better to potentially hazardous changes in nature compared to domesticated animals. Livestock and poultry often live under the strong influence of human culture. Over time, they create a system of rules and taboos, becoming physically weaker and less effective in defending against natural impacts.
Many scientists believe that humans were once highly sensitive creatures to natural changes, similar to today’s wild animals.
However, throughout the process of evolution, humans have lost this biological awareness. As a result, we seem unable to respond appropriately to what our biological bodies perceive, despite our personal intentions. For example, some individuals often experience aches and pains, swelling in their joints before landslides, while others exhibit symptoms of internal bleeding or increased body temperature before a natural disaster for unclear reasons. Children and certain highly sensitive individuals are the “master predictors,” able to foresee impending natural catastrophes…
