[FormerACLUmember]

A more plausible explanation than this bogus magical animal sixth sense nonsense: All the beachfront in these overpopulated hellholes is hogged by humans for fishing, tourism, etc. The animals are inland in the mountains and forests.

[nmh]

Actually animals have sharper senses than humans. They can detect weather changes. For example some birds fly south before winter and make the same stops each year. Dogs sniff out people. They DO know when storms are approaching as well.

[dawn53]

I imagine the animals "felt the earthquake" and fled inland to seek cover.

There were several references to the "earth trembling" from the after effects of this strong earthquake, so an animal would be much more atune to that.

Plus their sense of hearing is so much keener. Maybe they heard the wave coming...my dogs know a thunderstorm is approaching long before I do.

[AmericaUnited]

I suspect animals can detect low level, subsonic rumblings that occur hours before plates shift. This seems to make sense. Animals do have incredible sensory abilities.

Snakes detecting incredible minute changes in temperature.

Bloodhounds being able to smell a few (let's not get technical) molecules of scent.

Eagles/hawks being able to "see" a field mouse from a mile or two away.

Moths/bugs detecting incredibly small amounts of various substances.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Our family used to have a German Shepard and it was deathly afraid of thunderstorms. We knew a thunderstorm was on the way when that dog would shake, shiver and tremble. It would tremble so much, the poor thing looked like it had legs of jelly.

Horses and cattle are keenly aware of climatic and changes in nature as well, whether its a thunderstorm, tornado, or even a winter blizzard.

[spodefly]

There was an article posted today about how the Euro-tourists on vacation in parts of the world hit by the tsunami were back to drinking and partying despite the dead bodies still lingering in their vacation spots.

Sometimes (most times) people are just to self-absorbed and shallow to be tuned into any signs that might help them understand and interpret the natural world.

[EBH]

Actually this story seems to leave out which park this references. I looked this story up yesterday after it was posted by Reuters.

The park in question is Yala National Park which was situated on the Southern tip of Sri Lanka and abuts the ocean. It is one of the areas hit by the 32ft. high waves and flood waters rushing in 2 miles or so. The safari lodge located there was completely wiped out and lives lost. Pictures from the lodge area were showing the only thing left was the foundation and almost no debris, it was all swept out into the ocean. The park is/was famous for the elephants and has the most leopards of any park.

[dasboot]

I think humans have this un-magical sixth sense; it's just a matter of tuning in.

I feel tremblors all the time that nobody else seems to notice....and confirmed in the news broadcasts later in the day.

My eyes are bad, and my hearing, impaired; but a walk in the woods with company, and I'm the one pointing out the birds and flowers and animals. I see and hear...and especially smell things.....that others don't click on. I think it's cuz folks are having internal dialogue, and missing subtle clues all around them. Animals don't have chats with themselves in their heads. Survival depends on analysis of environment.

My theory is that one can train one's self to a hightened state of permanent alertness. I spent many years on a walking beat in the city....wee hours, totally outwardly focused, looking, listening, smelling, making sub-conscious notes. It becomes a mode after a while. I think soldiers must get this happening, too. Fishermen get it: survival, in all three examples, depends on analysis of environment.

[kassie]

Many years ago we had a Golden Retriever. The sun would be shining, not a cloud in the sky, and she'd run for the barn. You would know a storm was on the way. She wouldn't hide for a normal rain shower, only lightening and thunder storms.

She was right every time.

[aardvark1]

Humans have a similar "6th sense," only it causes a different reaction in them.

There's a tornado; let's chase it. A hurricane is coming; let's go surfing. Here comes an ice storm; let's go driving in our 4WD at 50 MPH. Etc.

[Rebelbase]

[Kerfuffle]

Hmmmm... now that I think about it, you never saw any squirrls or chipmunks around at Kerry rallies, didya?

[NittanyLion]

It seems unlikely that animals would recognize a low frequency rumbling means they should run for higher ground. I think a more plausible explanation is that they are generally located further inland, and when the first waves hit they ran in the other direction instead of standing around to gawk likes humans are prone to do.

No sixth sense required for either of those things...

[Hatteras]

I read an article a few years ago about some guy in California that would predict eartquakes based on the number of lost pet ads in the paper. His research showed that the number of ads routinely soared within the last day or two before a major earthquake.

He looked like kind of a nut, but he did have some facts at his disposal...

[Mamzelle]

I don't see why this is a "sixth" sense at all--if it shows to be a genuine phenomena, it should be simple to explain. Most animals already have senses better than our own--smell, hearing--and might well be better at paying attn to them.

[Nita Nupress]

There is a dead animal in the gruesome photo on this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1310424/posts?page=5#5 at reply #5. At first I thought it was a baby, but the feet look much too small to be anything but a cat or dog.

THE PHOTO IS VERY DISTURBING. Don't go if you think it may upset you. The animal is in the bottom left-hand corner.