Mysteries behind animal prophesy

K. G. H. MUNIDASA

THERE are some quite remarkable mysteries in animal behaviour which scientists have still not completely understood. One of these is their capacity to sense death and disaster in advance.

Do animals, like the human beings, possess some inherent power, beyond their ordinary senses that enable them to have a presentiment of future events?

Over 50 years ago, this story concerning a she elephant at the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens was published in the local press. Meena was a very docile animal and her keepers had no problem looking after her.

But one day, she started to behave in an unusual manner. She strained at her fetters in obvious excitement as if trying to free herself.

The crowds of visitors gave her wide berth, thinking that something unforeseen had befallen the poor beast. Meena behaved in this manner for over 36 hours.

Not heeding the unruly behaviour of the elephant, the zoo staff took her along to a wharf at the Colombo harbour. There she was restless than ever. She heaved and tugged and trumpeted in apparent emotional uneasiness.

At length she broke free from her chains and fled headlong through the busy thoroughfares. Once on the Galle Road, Meena did not stop until she reached the zoo gates.

There the keepers found her browsing unconcernedly in a patch of shrubbery. Not long afterwards, Meena was shipped to the Dudley Zoo as was originally planned and there she lived happily ever after.

This was an instance cited by a former superintendent of the Dehiwala Zoo to explain the prophetic in animals.

Take the case of the cat which sensed the tragedy that was to over take her mistress. She was a black cat and lived in a town in France. The lady was to leave on a holiday to Lourdes, with her mother.

On the night prior to her departure, the cat started to behave in a most peculiar fashion. She jumped on the bed beside her mistress and mewed incessantly. Finally, the lady put her out of the room and locked the door.

Throughout the night the cat made a big noise in the passage and banged the carpet against the floor, though it was fairly heavy one for a cat to have handled.

At day break, the following morning, the cat crept to the room again and started to bother her mistress and even tore at her dress.

At the last moment as she was leaving the house the cat jumped on to her shoulder and cried most pathetically. That night there occurred a terrible train crash and both the lady and her mother were killed.

Somewhere behind those green challenging eyes of a cat the nature has provided a compass of sort for use in an emergency, which probably has something to do with the so-called “sixth sense”, in animals.

Take, for example, the story about a captain of a Swedish ship who was returning from Haiti to Stockholm at the end of a long voyage.

He had with him on board his wife, their three-year-old daughter, an English nurse and a pet cat. The nurse has been hired at one of the ports en route and she had never been in Sweden. The cat on the other hand was born and bread in Stockholm.

During the course of the voyage disaster struck the family. The captain and his wife contacted some disease and died while at sea. When the ship finally arrived in Stockholm the nurse did not know where to take the child.

The cat soon dispelled her doubts, and no sooner had they landed it proceeded to walk with the utmost serenity and purpose, up one street and down another, until it reached No. 22, Vesterland Street, the home of the child’s grandmother.

Extra-sensory perception is an ability latent in certain human beings that helps them perceive things without the use of their ordinary senses.

For instance, the ability to catch the thoughts of others (telepthay) or form a pronation of some place or object that is not within sensory reach (clairvoyance) are some of them.

Extensive research by scientists into the prophetic power or precognition in human beings and animals have shown that this sixth sense is much in evidence in animals.

Flower of the week: Baby’s Breath: a must for bridal bouquets

Baby’s Breath are a tender and delicate annual. Baby’s Breath are very easy to grow, and quick to bloom.

Plants grow 1 1/2 to 2 feet, bearing a profusion of white or pink flowers.

Baby’s Breath are grown from tiny seeds. They like full to partial sun. They prefer rich, light soils, and are not fond of clay. They also do not like dry conditions. Their rapid growth demands that they are watered during dry periods.

Insect and disease problems are not too common. If insect or disease problems occur, treat early with organic or chemical insect repellents and fungicide.

A popular flower to accent bouquets, corsages and flower vases, Baby’s Breath is a popular flower in the home garden too.

Gardening tips

* Rotate vegetable crops to help control pests, disease and to keep the soil in good condition

* Sow main crop potatoes approximately 2 feet apart; to ensure room for development later.

* Plant marigold and garlic among your vegetable rows to prevent pests.

* Check the brackets used for hanging baskets. Once the flowers are in full bloom and compost is moist they will become much heavier.

* Dig in compost, manure and other amendments in planting areas when the soil is dry enough.

* Spread cinnamon: ants won’t cross it..

* Water lawns regularly at time of dry weather.

* If you plan on starting a new lawn from seed you can start preparing the soil now. Rake the surface level and add a general fertilizer.

* Cut back your weeds around your garden as they harbour bugs and bring bugs to your garden.

* Marigolds attract pollinators while discouraging pesty bugs. You’ll be especially amazed by an increased tomato fruit yeild that will be made possible by putting marigolds along the outside border of your garden.

* Plant water plants now. Water lilies grow well in full sun.