Animal Instinct
"Sixth Sense" Saved Animals From Tsunami; Native Tribes Followed Animal Pattern
by Jamie Koerner
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Following the tsunami, the news was flooded with exigency and uncertainty concerning the catastrophe in Asia Dec. 26.
Eye-catchers covered headlines about animals having a 'sixth sense' that aided their escape from the tsunami and others focused on the tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands retreating up the mountains, thus saving their coastal farming tribes; the tribe refused to comment to the media about their reason for relocation during the tsunami.
Recent news has shown some findings that the tribes may have based their escape from the tsunami on the retreat pattern of animals before the waves hit shore.
"There are some theories surrounding the strange behavior of the animals (during the tsunami), but no proof. Animals behave strangely a lot of the time," MSU professor of geography Forrest Wilkerson said.
The animals may not have used their 'sixth sense' in this case; however, there was a driving factor that led them to their safety in the mountains.
"The animals felt the earthquake; it disturbed them," Wilkerson said. "[The animals] may have went inland and upland as a safety mechanism. But, to be honest, we do not have an explanation for their behavior."
One thing is for certain, animals do have a keen sense of their surroundings and habitat, which provides a keener insight on what to do in a dangerous situation.
"When looking at the reaction of animals in the event of a prairie fire, there is a very low mortality rate," MSU professor of biology Brock McMillan said. "Animals are experts at seeking refuge in adverse situations and have a remarkable ability to swim."
There are some recent findings that detail animal-survivor stories from the tsunami. But the tales still intrigue some of the biggest skeptics.
"They have recently found snakes and lizards atop of trees that survived [the tsunami]," McMillan said.
Along with the earthquake vibrations, the animals could have felt another change in their surroundings. According to Wilkerson, there's a change in the air pressure when big storms are forming and it is possible that the earthquake or the approaching waves could have created a similar change in air pressure.
"The animals can feel the change -- also another possible theory," Wilkerson said.
Birds, especially migratory birds, have one of the greatest sensory units to pressure change before a storm -- much like a barometer that measures atmospheric pressure according to "Journey North, A Global Study of Wildlife Migration and Seasonal Change," an article on the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse Web site.
According to The Associated Press, one tribe in specific -- the Jarawas of South Andaman Island -- used their observations of wind movement, the changing sea and the birds flying inland as a prompt for their relocation to the mountains, which saved every member of the tribe according to government officials in India.
Once the Jarawa tribe was safe in the mountains from the deadly waves, starvation became their rising threat.
Sources found -- in talking with members of the tribe -- all 250 of the Jarawas were safe after they fled inland. While in the mountains, the tribe used the land just as their ancestors and survived on coconuts.
"The tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are more aware of their natural world," Wilkerson said.
The Jarawas, along with the four other tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are lucky to have survived the tsunami that ranks fourth on the list of the world's greatest natural disasters.
The Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami currently has an ongoing death toll of 228,000.
The world's worst natural disaster was the Shaanxi earthquake (China, 1556) with a death toll of 830,000. Following is the Bhola cyclone (Bangladesh, 1970) with 500,000 killed; third, the Tangshan earthquake (China, 1976) killing 400,000 and finally the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis that struck more than a month ago, according to Wikipedia.org.
With the increasing death toll of the tsunami to rising to more than 228,000, society can only hope that new, efficient technology is in the works to create greater safety for the world in the event of future life-threatening natural disasters.
"People have looked into [animal patterns] as a possible study for warning systems, but there is no clue where to start," Wilkerson said. "When looking statistically, all animals can behave in contrast, just like human beings."
According to Wilkerson, the Pacific Ocean is currently the only location with a tsunami-warning system.
"The pressure sensors on the Pacific buoys are extremely accurate," Wilkerson said. "There is a lot of talk that there will be a worldwide [tsunami] warning that could be put into place beginning this summer."
For more information see news in relation to the 'global tsunami warning system' which is currently being discussed by leaders of the world.
Jamie Koerner is a Reporter staff writer