Wild animals seem to have escaped the Indian Ocean tsunami, adding weight to the idea that they have a "sixth sense" for disasters, experts said on Thursday.

Sri Lanka wildlife officials have said the waves that killed over 24,000 people along the Indian Ocean island's coast seemingly missed wild beasts, with no dead animals found.

"No elephants are dead, not even a dead hare or rabbit. I think animals can sense disaster. They have a ‘sixth sense'. They know when things are happening," H.D. Ratnayake, director of Sri Lanka's Wildlife Department, said on Wednesday.

The waves washed floodwaters up to 3 km (2 miles) inland at Yala National Park in the southeast, Sri Lanka's biggest wildlife reserve and home to hundreds of wild elephants. "There has been a lot of evidence (证据) about dogs barking or birds migrating before volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. But it has not been proved." said Matthew van Lierop, an animal behaviour specialist at Johannesburg Zoo. "There have been no specific studies because you can't really test it in a lab or field setting," he said. Other authorities agreed with this conclusion.

"Wildlife seems to be able to pick up certain signs, especially birds. There are many reports of birds detecting coming disasters," said Clive Walker, who has written several books on African wildlife.

Animals certainly rely on the known senses such as smell or hearing to avoid danger such as predators (掠食动物). The idea of an animal "sixth sense" is a lasting one that the evidence on Sri Lanka's damaged coast is likely to add to.