COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan wildlife officials are stunned -- the worst tsunami in memory has killed around 22,000 people along the Indian Ocean island's coast, but they can't find any dead animals.
Giant waves washed floodwaters up to 2 miles inland at Yala National Park in the ravaged southeast, Sri Lanka's biggest wildlife reserve and home to hundreds of wild elephants and several leopards.
"The strange thing is we haven't recorded any dead animals," H.D. Ratnayake, deputy director of the national Wildlife Department, told Reuters Wednesday.
"No elephants are dead, not even a dead hare or rabbit," he added. "I think animals can sense disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening."
At least 40 tourists, including nine ***anese, were drowned.
The tsunami was triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean Sunday, which sent waves up to 15 feet high crashing onto Sri Lanka's southern, eastern and northern seaboard, flooding whole towns and villages, destroying hotels and causing widespread destruction.
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YALA NATIONAL PARK, Sri Lanka - Wildlife officials in Sri Lanka expressed surprise Wednesday that they found no evidence of large-scale animal deaths from the weekend's massive tsunami "” indicating that animals may have sensed the wave coming and fled to higher ground.
An Associated Press photographer who flew over Sri Lanka's Yala National Park in an air force helicopter saw abundant wildlife, including elephants, buffalo, deer, and not a single animal corpse.
Floodwaters from the tsunami swept into the park, uprooting trees and toppling cars onto their roofs "” one red car even ended up on top of a huge tree "” but the animals apparently were not harmed and may have sought out high ground, said Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, whose Jetwing Eco Holidays ran a hotel in the park.
"This is very interesting. I am finding bodies of humans, but I have yet to see a dead animal," said Wijeyeratne, whose hotel in the park was totally destroyed in Sunday's tidal surge.
"Maybe what we think is true, that animals have a sixth sense," Wijeyeratne said.
Yala, Sri Lanka's largest wildlife reserve, is home to 200 Asian Elephants, crocodile, wild boar, water buffalo and gray langur monkeys. The park also has Asia's highest concentration of leopards. The Yala reserve covers an area of 391 square miles, but only 56 square miles are open to tourists.
The human death toll in Sri Lanka surpassed 21,000. Forty foreigners were among 200 people in Yala who were killed.
RE: Where Are All the Dead Animals? Sri Lanka Asks
They can't find any dead animals??? I thought I heard on FOX News that there were dead carcasses of dogs mingled in with the bodies...??? Well, if it's true, that's awfull strange, isn't it?
RE: Where Are All the Dead Animals? Sri Lanka Asks
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ORIGINAL: defendwihunters
They can't find any dead animals??? I thought I heard on FOX News that there were dead carcasses of dogs mingled in with the bodies...??? Well, if it's true, that's awfull strange, isn't it?
Domestic animals are being found however domestic animals don't have the same options as wildlife when it comes to independent action to save themselves. It has been a well known and documented phenomena for years that animals, even domestic livestock and pets act 'strangely' prior to earthquakes. Most people will recall the odd behavior after-the-fact yet with little or no experience themselves to understand this behaviour, don't recognize the significance of it while it is occuring.
RE: Where Are All the Dead Animals? Sri Lanka Asks
Animals might not be intelligent, but that doesn't make them stupid. On a side note, I'm a diabetic, and my dog has a fit if my blood sugar drops, especially while I'm alseep. He'll jump around me, whine, bark, paw at my chest, you name it. Their brains might not comprehend science or philosophy, but they definitely have some hardwiring that can save their lives when the unexpected occurs.
RE: Where Are All the Dead Animals? Sri Lanka Asks
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especially while I'm alseep. He'll jump around me, whine, bark, paw at my chest, you name it. Their brains might not comprehend science or philosophy, but they definitely have some hardwiring that can save their lives when the unexpected occurs.
Scientists are currently (and have been for about a decade) studying dogs that are capable of determining slight pheremone changes in humans when they get cancer.
Pretty wild stuff. Unfortunately, the only talent I have found in my cats is that they have an uncanny ability to determine when you are going to sit down and immediately pounce on your lap for warmth.
RE: Where Are All the Dead Animals? Sri Lanka Asks
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Scientists are currently (and have been for about a decade) studying dogs that are capable of determining slight pheremone changes in humans when they get cancer.
Saw something about that on one of those "Pet Miracles" type shows. A woman had a mole on her leg that started getting bigger, and her dog kept trying to chew it off. Talk about (wo)man's best friend.
RE: Where Are All the Dead Animals? Sri Lanka Asks
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Domestic animals are being found however domestic animals don't have the same options as wildlife when it comes to independent action to save themselves. It has been a well known and documented phenomena for years that animals, even domestic livestock and pets act 'strangely' prior to earthquakes. Most people will recall the odd behavior after-the-fact yet with little or no experience themselves to understand this behaviour, don't recognize the significance of it while it is occuring.
Where Are All the Dead Animals? Sri Lanka Asks
