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| Scientists were able to collect information by studying animals |
The belief that wild and domestic animals possess a sixth sense, and know in advance when the earth is going to shake, has been around for centuries.
On a day in 1976, keeper of a livestock farm in Northern China awoke before dawn to feed his animals. When he walked over to the stables he found two horses and two mules there jumping or kicking out in apparent distress. Before long the four animals stormed out of the stables. Just then a dazzling flash illuminated the sky, followed by loud, rumbling noises. The famous 7.8 magnitude Tangshan earthquake struck!
This was among the many incidents of unnatural behaviour by animals prior to the earthquake, uncovered during a survey conducted by Chinese scientists in the 'quake-affected area' in order to ascertain the feasibility of an earthquake predicting-programme making use of observations related to animal behaviour prior to earthquakes.
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The scientists were able to collect information on 2,093 incidents involving domestic animals such as horses, donkeys, mules, cows, goats, pigs, dogs and cats. Meanwhile, hundreds of weasels in the countryside had left their underground lairs in broad daylight, some of them carrying young, either on their back or by mouth.
The fish in ponds came to the surface of the water and dashed about aimlessly or leapt in the air, while those in aquariums became restive, too. Domestic goats bleated mournfully, rejecting to go inside their pens, while those already inside lamented to be taken out. House cats ran about mewing desperately and some picking up their kitten by mouth, scampered out of-doors. The dogs scratched the doors of houses to get inside, some of them with pups held in their mouth. But, once taken in they barked or even bit their masters.
The pigs in pigsties screamed furiously and crept out squeezing under the gates or jumped over walls to safety. Domestic chicken deserted their coops in the dead of night and settled on rooftops or in trees. Droves of rats, normally wary of humans, left their hideouts and openly ran about looking for alternative cover.
According to the survey, unusual behaviour of the animals reached a climax in the 24 hours preceding the main 'quake. However, in instances where foreshocks preceded, behavioural variations in fish, rats and snakes occurred 2-3 days in advance.
It was after the major Hsingtai earthquake of 6.8 magnitude, in 1966 that the Chinese scientists initiated studies on the precursory signs of animal behaviour, in an endeavour to predict 'quakes. It is on record that before the Hsingtai struck all the domestic dogs at a village in the epicenter deserted their kennels and survived the catastrophe.
In a retrospective survey launched to study the behavioural variations in animals prior to earthquakes, the Chinese scientists have identified 58 kinds of domestic and wild animals prone to abnormal behaviour, before earthquakes.
It has been recorded that before the 8.5 magnitude earthquake (China's largest) that struck Haiyuan, north-west China in 1920, wolves in the wild ran amok in packs and sparrows flew around in the sky twittering wildly. An elderly farmer got up at night to find out why his dogs were barking in a most unusual manner. No sooner than he left the house the 'quake struck, and he survived,
China established in 1968 in Hsingtai her first experimental station for earthquake prediction, making use of observations on biological forms. An experimental area for the same purpose was subsequently set up in Aksu, in 1971 where biophysicist conducted research using pigeons.
Extra sensory perception (ESP) is an ability latent in certain human beings that helps them perceive things without the use of the ordinary senses.
For instance, the ability to catch the thoughts of others (telepathy), form a pre-notion of some place or object that is not within sensory reach (clair voyance) are a few. Extensive research done by scientists into the prophetic power (Precognition), in human beings and animals, have shown that this Sixth Sense is much in evidence in animals.
Daily News by K G H Munidasa
