(P)unxsutawney Phil and other Animal Augurs

Happy Groundhog Day!
Photo: Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo

Good ol' Punxsutawney Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter. But Whiskers J., a six-month-old hedgehog from the Oregon Zoo, has defied the famous Pennsylvania groundhog and has declared an early spring!

Somebody get this guy a day of his own.
Photo: OregonLive

But what do animals know about the future? After all, the Cincinnati Zoo penguins picked the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl.

Unanimous, but wrong. But adorable!
Photo: WCPO Cincinnati

Actually, there are several cool examples of animals being foreseers of some future events. Catfish in Tokyo have been observed to predict earthquakes, their activity level heightening several days before recorded seismic activity. Cows are somewhat reliable predictors of rain; they lay down to conserve heat, and since rain is often preceded by sudden drops in temperature, cows are often found lying down before a shower. Sharks can detect changes in ocean pressure which can be caused by impending storms, and they head for deeper water before hurricanes strike.

In 2004, herds of elephants in Thailand spontaneously fled for higher ground just before a tsunami devastated the country. These animals use infrasound - the area below human hearing - to communicate. Infrasound waves are emitted over long distances by thunder and earthquakes, which the elephants were able to sense and act upon.

And then there is Oscar the therapy cat, who resides at a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island. Oscar has correctly predicted 50 deaths by curling up on the bed of the resident who is soon to pass away. One possible explanation for this ability is that the cat can smell ketones, the biochemicals released by dying cells.

Cuter than I imagined the Grim Reaper to be.
Photo: Steere House

Now. All I need is an animal that can predict whether or not I will become a zoo keeper. But the owl will just keeping asking me "who?", and the tortoise will take forever to answer. Pigs might tell me to expect it when they can fly, hyenas may cruelly laugh .. and honey badger just don't care.

I suppose I could consult some animal wisdom tarot cards. They direct me to the peacock, the illuminator. Or I could just ask this guy:

Clairvoyant Canine.

Yep. That's what I'll do. Because even if he tells me the going will be "ruff", I know he'd also tell me to keep chasing that ball.


For more information:
http://thefw.com/animals-groundhogs-can-predict-future/
http://mentalfloss.com/article/59091/can-animals-predict-future