NYT/AP: Tsunami Kills Few Animals in Sri Lanka (sixth sense?)

[DeepModem Mom]

Tsunami Kills Few Animals in Sri Lanka
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 29, 2004
Filed at 10:39 a.m. ET

YALA NATIONAL PARK, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Wildlife officials in Sri Lanka expressed surprise Wednesday that they found no evidence of large-scale animal deaths from the tsunamis -- 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 Sunday's 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 destroyed.

``Maybe what we think is true, that animals have a sixth sense,'' Wijeyeratne said....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Quake-Sri-Lanka-Animals.html

[Desertrose]

1. I'm sorry but ...DUH...of course animals have a sense

of what is happening with the earth.....humans should get a clue.

I'm sorry- this whole things is very sad...but I'm glad some living things survived.

[Ian David]

2. Simpler answer

No mention that the killing zone was limited to within a kilometer of the coast, and none of these preserves extended into these areas -- humans have pretty well monopolized the coastlines.

[illflem]

3. From what I've heard the approaching wave

was quite loud. Of course any wild animal will run from an unfamiliar noise.
Many tests have been done over the years and have determined animals are no better at predicting earthquakes than humans.

[ThoughtCriminal]

4. Regular senses might be enough

Better hearing. A lack of curiosty about why the ocean is receeding maybe.

Run faster, climb or swim better perhaps.

[xultar]

5. Tsunamis are very hypnotic, from ancient times until now all records

indicate that people often run to rather than away from the initial receed in water levels. That is why death tolls through out history are so high from tusnamis.