Do animals possess a 'sixth sense' that enables them to sense natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis? It's a difficult question to answer with certainty, but it's a question that has been repeated in the wake of the recent Indian Ocean tsunami.

In Sri Lanka, wildlife experts have found surprisingly few signs of animal deaths as a result of the tsunami. This suggests that animals fled the low-lying coastal regions before the tsunami struck. Additionally, there are widespread accounts of odd animal behavior that was observed just prior to the tsunami. The National Geographic cited reports of:

• elephants that fled for high ground
• dogs that refused to set foot outside
• birds that abandoned vulnerable coastal breeding grounds
• zoo animals that retreated into shelters

Scientists are interested in what these animals might be sensing—vibrations in the ground, changes in atmospheric pressure, or sounds that we might not sense or happen to disregard. If animals do in fact have some 'sixth sense' when it comes to natural disasters, and if we can identify that warning signal, then we would be on our way to finding an early detection system that could warn human populations of coming disasters. And such a system would mean lives could be saved.

Find out more:

• Land Mammals Thought to Have Escaped Destructive Force of Tsunami (BBC News)
• Tsunami Adds to Belief in Animals' 'Sixth Sense' (Reuters)
• Did Animals Sense Tsunami Was Coming? (National Geographic)
• Tsunami Kills Few Animals in Sri Lanka (MSNBC)
• Did Animals' 'Sixth Sense' Save Them from Tsunami? (CNN)
• Animals May Have Sensed Tsunami (Fox News)