SRI LANKA MYSTERY: WHERE ARE ALL THE DEAD ANIMALS?

[dragthor]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ls_1&printer=1

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.

[BrutalAttack]

I don't think it's a stretch for animals to be able to sense disturbances like the tsunami. Especially a disturbance of that scale. We already know that many animals are very sensitive to changes in air pressure.

[alabama_creek_water]

I graduated Auburn University with a degree in biology. Through my studies I have noticed on numerous occasions that wild animals can sense disturbances in their environment and respond accordingly. For example, me being a fisherman I've noticed on numerous occasions that bass seem to feed realy heavily right before an approaching storm. I know that they can sense a difference in the water, but who is to say that other animals can't sense some sort of change in their environment as well. Any way, I think it is very possible and does happen a lot, it's just that we do not notice it.

[Russ otten]

The hunters on this site should relate to this unique action. If not, start noticing; Deer seem to bed up right before a bad storm/snowfall. They may also feed heavily 3-4 hours before one. We have to rely on the weatherman, they do it from instinct.

Russ

[dragthor]

I might be crazy...but when the barometer drops..I can "feel it" in my knees and nose.

Animals can definitely sense weather, fire, and of course...hunting season.

[MaverickAU]

I heard about some guy out in california who is doing research on the earthquakes in california and how you can tell they are going to happen due to everyones cats running away. Its crazy but after you listen to the guy you believe him.

Lord i've got nothing to do this early in the morning. I'm sitting here writing a paper for class and i'm thankful for these forums to keep me getting off track :-)