Nature

During the hours that separated December 2004’s cataclysmic earthquake off Sumatra and the devastating tsunami that followed, witnesses reported unusual animal behavior. In the following days, rescuers and surveyors noticed something equally unusual: they found not a single dead animal. In this feature, you will read accounts from those who witnessed it firsthand. Ravi Corea and Gehan De Silva Wijeyeratne tell us what they discovered when they surveyed different areas in Sri Lanka. Uditha Hedige describes unusual bird activity near Yala National Park in Sri Lanka, early in the morning prior to the tsunami. K. David saw herds of elephants run for higher ground near Yala. In Thailand, elephant trainer Wit Aniwat heard his elephants wail in the early morning hours. Following dolphins farther out into the sea saved scuba instructor Chris Cruz’s life.