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Before the giant waves slammed into the coast in India and Sri Lanka, wild and domestic animals seemed to know what was about to happen. They fled to safety. According to eyewitness accounts, elephants screamed and ran for higher ground; dogs refused to go outdoors; flamingoes abandoned their low-lying breeding areas; and zoo animals rushed into their shelters and could not be enticed to come back out.
Many people believe that animals possess a sixth sense and know when the earth is going to shake. Some experts believe that animals’ more acute hearing helps them to hear or feel the earth’s vibration. They can sense an approaching disaster long before humans realise what’s going on.
We cannot be sure whether animals have a sixth sense or not. But the fact is that the giant waves that rolled through the Indian Ocean killed more than 150,000 people in a dozen countries; but not many animals have been reported dead.
Along India’s Cuddalore coast, where thousands of people perished, buffaloes, goats and dogs were found unharmed. The Yala National Park in Sri Lanka is home to a variety of animals including elephants, leopards, and 130 species of birds. Sixty visitors were washed away from the Patanangala beach inside the park; but no animal carcasses were found, except for two water buffaloes. About an hour before the tsunami hit, people at Yala National Park had observed three elephants running away from the Patanangala beach.
A Sri Lankan gentleman who lives on the coast near Galle said his two dogs would not go for their daily run on the beach. “They are usually excited to go on this outing,” he said. But on that day they refused to go, and most probably saved his life.
Explanation:
On \(26th\) December \(2004\), India and Srilanka also got affected by the tsunami, but before the tsunami struck, animals, both domestic and wild, went to safety. Many people say that the elephants trumpeted and ran to a bit higher ground, Dogs did not go out, Flamingoes left the areas which were low lying for breeding, all the zoo animals went into their shelter and they did not come out at all.
Most of the people believe that animals have a sixth sense and can predict natural disasters. Few say that animals possess additional hearing capabilities, which help them realise the vibrations of the earth shake. They can effortlessly notify the disaster, unlike human beings, long before it strikes. We are not very sure whether the animals had a sixth sense or not, but during the tsunami in the Indian ocean, more than \(150000\) casualties were reported in around twelve countries, but only a few animals were reported dead.
Most of the people believe that animals have a sixth sense and can predict natural disasters. Few say that animals possess additional hearing capabilities, which help them realise the vibrations of the earth shake. They can effortlessly notify the disaster, unlike human beings, long before it strikes. We are not very sure whether the animals had a sixth sense or not, but during the tsunami in the Indian ocean, more than \(150000\) casualties were reported in around twelve countries, but only a few animals were reported dead.
In India, Tamilnadu along the Cuddalore coast many people died, but buffaloes, goats, and dogs were reported unharmed. The Yala National Park in Srilanka had many animals, including leopards, elephants, and \(130\) species of birds. Sixty visitors got swept away from Patangala beach inside the park, but only two water buffaloes were found dead. Almost an hour before the tsunami struck at the Yala National Park people saw three elephants had run away from Patangala beach.
A Srilankan resident who stayed near Galle beach said that his two dogs did not budge to go for a daily walk on the beach that day. On that particular day, they saved his life by not venturing out on the beach.
Meanings of difficult words:
Numbers | Word | Meanings |
1. | Slammed | Bang forcefully. |
2. | Eyewitness | Onlooker. |
3. | Disaster | Tragedy. |
4. | Carcasses | The dead body of an animal. |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2008). Honeydew. The Tsunami (pp. 24-30). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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