Yang Mingwei / Comprehensive Report
China Times 2008.05.18

Do animals truly possess the miraculous ability to foresee natural disasters? Shortly before the Sichuan earthquake, observers at the Wolong Panda Reserve noticed that the pandas suddenly became extremely agitated, as if they knew a catastrophe was imminent. For a long time, there have been reports of abnormal animal behavior before disasters such as earthquakes, storms, and even the South Asian tsunami, with some cases being truly baffling.

The British newspaper *The Sun* reported on the 17th that in July 1976, Tangshan, China, was struck by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which flattened the entire city and claimed up to 240,000 lives. Hours before the earthquake, local radio stations reported that a panda in the zoo was "screaming with its hands clutching its head," leaving the caretakers puzzled by this inexplicable behavior. Afterward, many believed the panda's wailing was a sign of the impending earthquake.

Before the Tangshan earthquake, pandas were seen clutching their heads and wailing.

Often, people tend to ignore warnings from animals. However, in February 1975, scientists in Haicheng, Liaoning Province, China, observed that local cats were restless and dogs were barking incessantly, leading them to believe a major disaster was imminent and urging residents to evacuate. Five and a half hours later, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck, resulting in 2,000 deaths.

Experts believe that the evacuation saved countless lives, potentially preventing up to 150,000 deaths. This marked the first time a city was successfully evacuated before an earthquake, and the animals' early warning was officially recognized as having averted a catastrophe.

Barking dogs, fleeing sharks, and running elephants are all warnings.

In January 1995, Kobe, Japan, was devastated by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, killing approximately 6,400 people. Days before the earthquake, locals noticed many dogs barking incessantly, and even weeks prior, dog bite incidents surged dramatically. Some believe this is because animals become highly stressed before a disaster.

In August 1999, before a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Izmit, Turkey, locals observed not only dogs barking but also cats, rats, and birds exhibiting restless behavior.

In August 2004, when Florida, USA, was hit by a super hurricane, marine biologists noticed that 14 blacktip sharks equipped with electronic trackers in nearby waters had apparently sensed the danger and fled two weeks before the hurricane arrived. They returned once the storm passed.

A day before the 2004 South Asian tsunami, elephants in Thailand's coastal areas appeared restless. An hour before the tsunami hit, several elephants broke free and fled. Cruz, a diving instructor in Phuket, noted that a group of dolphins jumping in front of their boat also made him feel something was amiss.

In Sri Lanka, bats, which usually sleep during the day, were seen flying around erratically. In India, flamingos left low-lying areas and migrated to higher ground.

Cats and dogs exhibit abnormal reactions before bombings.

Animals can also sense man-made disasters. During World War II, many cats and dogs owned by British families would bark before German bombers arrived, warning their owners to seek shelter.

Scientist Rupert Sheldrake, who has studied animal intuition for years, said some believe animals can detect subtle vibrations imperceptible to humans, while others suggest they can sense abnormal gases and electrical charges in the air. However, none of these explanations account for how pets during World War II predicted enemy bombings.Source: http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ 2……0504+112008051800265,00. html