Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Preemption...

Have you ever wondered why certain occasions leave you thoroughly confused and looking around like deer caught in front of headlights, while much of the animal kingdom has been pre-programmed to handle potentially difficult situations.

for e.g. here is how some animals deal with impending bad weather.

  • Frogs croak louder and longer than usual.
  • Roosters crow later in the day.
  • Birds fly lower to the ground and gather on tree branches and telephone wires.
  • Pigs squeal more and gather sticks to make a nest.
  • Cows lay down in the fields to feed, and lay down to ensure they have a dry spot to lay. Cows also run around the field with their tails raised high swatting flies before a storm.
  • Bees and butterflies seem to disappear from the flower beds they usually visit.
  • Red and black ants build up their mounds around the holes, and may actually cover the hole.
  • Fish jump out of the water and nip at low flying insects.
  • Dolphins come into sheltered bays to avoid storms.
  • Spiders leave their webs when it rains.
  • Bees won't leave their hives.
  • Seagulls come inland
All over the globe animals have behaviors they exhibit before the weather changes for the worse.
Makes you feel less privileged to be human now doesn't it? Here is another wierd story.


When South Asia had the devastating Tsunami which caused a large death toll and a large path of destruction, it was surprising how low the count was for loss of wildlife. Sri Lankan wildlife officials reported that they found no dead wild animals, including elephants. A photographer also reported seeing no animal corpses as he flew over the wildlife reserve - only active wildlife. An amazing fact when you consider the flood waters traveled up to two miles inland into the wildlife reserve. Potential theories suggest that a sixth sense alerted them to the Tsunami in plenty of time to reach higher and safer land. It could be from something as easy as their keen hearing, maybe hearing the wave approaching while it was still far enough away to escape. The animals may even be able to feel the vibrations of the ground, alerting them of the approaching dangerous situation.

Clearly there's a lot more evolution you and me have to go through. I feel the need for it now more than most times...

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