Animal Instinct

Animal Instinct
Hours before giant waves pounded coastlines in South Asia, many animals started behaving
strangely. In Sri Lanka, elephants trumpeted frantically and fled to higher ground. Bats and
flamingos deserted low-lying areas. Many other animals escaped unharmed.

Wildlife experts are amazed that many animals survived the tsunami. The series of huge
waves killed thousands of people in South Asia and East Africa in 2004. Experts say animals
might have sensed the approaching waves and moved to higher ground.

"I think animals can sense disaster. They know when things are happening in nature," said an
official at the national wildlife department in Sri Lanka.

More Wild Stories

Other stories of odd animal behavior before the tsunami have also surfaced. Giant waves
flooded low-lying parts of Yala National Park in Sri Lanka, uprooting trees and killing hundreds
of people. Wildlife officials reported, however, that few animals died. The park is home to
hundreds of animals, including elephants, monkeys, leopards, tigers, deer and water buffalo.

In Thailand, elephants carrying tourists from Japan bolted for the hills, and other elephants
broke free of their chains. In one fishing village, nearly 1,000 locals escaped safely after birds
squawked madly.

Making 'Sense' of It
Why might animals have known trouble was on the way? Forget special powers. Instead,
experts say that animals have better senses of hearing, smell and sight than humans do.
Those sharp senses help warn animals when natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions or
earthquakes, are about to happen.

"It doesn't surprise me that animals had an early warning of the tsunami," animal expert
Michael Dee of the Los Angeles Zoo told Weekly Reader. "The senses of certain species are
far stronger than what any human has." Dee points out that dogs, for example, have a
stronger sense of smell than humans and that cats can see better in the dark than people.
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 Animal Instinct

Scientists say that animals might have felt the vibrations from the earthquake that set off the
tsunami. In addition, many animals, including elephants, pigeons, and dogs, can also pick up
infrasound. That is a sound that is too low in pitch for humans to hear.

"Elephants can hear or feel other elephants grumble up to 2 miles away, so they probably felt
the earthquake," said Dee. "Their first instinct would be to move away from the direction of the
sound." An instinct is a natural, untaught behavior or reaction.

Before the tsunami struck, animals may have started to flee because they saw other
creatures running. "Animals take their cues from other animals," said Dee.

The Mystery Continues

How animals sense danger has fascinated people for centuries. Most scientists are quick to
point out, however, that nothing has ever been proven.

Will animal instincts be used to create a warning system about natural disasters anytime
soon? "I wouldn't count on [it]," said Dee.

In the meantime, animals are helping out in other ways. For example, elephants are assisting
in the cleanup of areas hit by the tsunami.

Hearing With Their Feet

Scientists say that elephants can pick up vibrations from earthquakes through their broad
feet.

Elephants' toenails are in the skin and not attached to the toes.

Elephants' soles have sensitive foot pads that detect vibrations, such as those from an
earthquake. That signals elephants to move to more stable ground.

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 ReadWorks Vocabulary

Vocabulary

fascinate
verb
definition: to attract and hold the attention and interest of.
The northern lights fascinate me.
Spanish: fascinar
forms: fascinated, fascinates, fascinating

instinct
noun
definition: Instincts are the natural ways that animals of a species behave. Instincts are not taught
by parents or experience. They are part of what an animal is born with.
Their instinct makes these birds fly south in winter.
Spanish: instinto

vibration
noun
definition: an act or instance of vibrating.

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Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2015 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved.
 Animal Instinct - Author's Purpose Questions

Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

1. The author wrote this to

A. tell readers about warning signs of natural disasters.

B. advise to the readers to listen to their animals.
C. inform the readers about amazing animal instincts.
D. convince readers to take better care of animals.

2. Animals might have known that something was wrong because

A. they heard low pitched sounds.

B. other animals were fleeing.
C. they felt vibrations in the Earth.
D. all of the above.

3. The author included a quote from Michael Dee because

A. he wants animals to be treated better.

B. he works in Thailand.
C. he is an animal expert.
D. he survived the tsunami.

4. The author included the diagram

A. to show the size of the elephants' feet.

B. to show the sounds that the elephants heard.
C. to show how elephants can feel vibrations with their feet.
D. to show where the elephants were when they heard the vibrations.

5. How could elephants' instincts help humans?

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 Animal Instinct - Comprehension Questions

Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

1. When did animals start behaving strangely in South Asia?

A. weeks before a hurricane

B. days before a forest fire
C. hours before a tsunami
D. hours before a tornado

2. What does the author list in the section "More Wild Stories?"

A. stories of people who love animals

B. different ways to help animals during a hurricane
C. examples of animals acting strangely before a tsunami
D. examples of people who learned something from animals

3. Read the following sentences from the text.

"Scientists say that animals might have felt the vibrations from the earthquake that
set off the tsunami. In addition, many animals, including elephants, pigeons, and
dogs, can also pick up infrasound."

What can you conclude about animals based on this information?

A. Elephants have better senses of hearing than dogs do.

B. Animals can only use their sense of hearing to notice tsunamis.
C. Animals use their senses to notice unusual or scary things happening.
D. People have stronger senses of smell than most animals do.

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 Animal Instinct - Comprehension Questions

4. Animals sometimes give warning signs that help humans stay safe during natural
disasters.

What evidence from the text supports this idea?

A. "In one fishing village, nearly 1,000 locals escaped safely after birds squawked
madly."
B. "Why might animals have known trouble was on the way? Forget special powers."
C. "Scientists say that animals might have felt the vibrations from the earthquake that set
off the tsunami."
D. "How animals sense danger has fascinated people for centuries."

5. What is the main idea of this text?

A. Because of their stronger senses, animals can often sense natural disasters before
they happen, like they did before a tsunami in South Asia.
B. Elephants can hear another elephant grumble up to two miles away, which means that
they have super-sensitive hearing.
C. Sensitive hearing isn't a very helpful sense to have when trying to tell when a tsunami
is coming, but sensitive sight is.
D. Scientists know that many animals can hear infrasound, which is a pitch of sound that
humans cannot hear.

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