Lions, cheetahs, and elephants paint my mind. I attended a presentation called “Reverence for Life” last night hosted by a dazzling young South Afrikaner named Brent. Born and raised in South Africa, Brent has developed an astute knowledge of the animal kingdom. His current profession as a safari guide inspired his evening talk. Brent visually guided us through his wondrous world of the wild by sharing his personal photography collection packed with riveting photos of lions, cheetahs, elephants, and birds. Brent’s narration bathed the audience with extraordinary detail and insight into the animal’s lifestyle, habits, and behaviors. I learned about everything from a cheetah’s predatory behavior to a lion’s sleep schedule. (A lion sleeps about 20 hours a day and hunts for 4 hours. What a life!)
What was most striking to me was the incredible intelligence each animal exercises on a daily basis to survive in the wild. Brent described how the animals read the scents in the wind, sounds in air, and movements in the brush to assess, moment-to-moment, their own safety levels, where to hunt, and when to move.
During the presentation a feeling of sadness swept through me. I felt an intense disconnection from my own sense of “survival” intelligence. After all, my survival strategies rely upon knowing where the nearest gas station and grocery stores are.
Brent’s presentation reminded me we are all born with an instinctual guidance system. This system is not based on the mind. A lion is not analyzing his environment based on his cerebral ruminations. He is moving unencumbered focusing on his survival instinct. He is present in every moment. A lion, Brent shared, does not have a very developed sense of fear; he simply knows when to move.
A funny thought crossed my mind. Imagine animals overriding their instinctual behavior and becoming heady. Can you imagine seeing cheetahs chatting on their cells discussing neighborhood safety, elephants Facebooking to find friends and birds “tweeting” in 140 chirps or less. Ridiculous? Perhaps, but you get the picture.
Feelings and fears of survival, sparked by earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear situations, have led humans to seek many forms of “self-protection” which may include hours on the Internet researching, reading, and gathering facts; calling friends and family; listening to opinions of experts; and asking questions of community leaders. It is time to include instinctual knowing to our intelligent plans of protection.
Brent’s information got me thinking about animal’s survival wisdom and historically how unusual animal behavior has been displayed at times of great earth changes.
After the 2006 tsunami in India, National Geographic reported stories about animal behavior, which occurred before the tsunami. They shared that “elephants screamed and ran for higher ground, dogs refused to go outdoors and flamingos abandoned low-lying breeding areas.” The animals’ behavior was attributed to instinct. Long before the disaster arrived the animals realized what was going on.
Further back in history, Jim Berkland, a retired geologist who worked six years for the U.S. Geological Survey, predicted, four days before it happened, the 1989 “World Series Earthquake,” based on animal behavior, lunar cycles, and tide changes. Berkland also noted previous to the earthquake that there were two to three times the number of cats and dogs listed as missing in the local papers, a behavior linked to disorientation and changes in the earth’s magnetic fields.
Berkland has recently noted unusual animal behaviors in the California and Mexico areas.
• Millions of fish found dead in California’s Redondo Bay
• A ‘fish sweep’ in Mexico
• The sighting of whales near San Diego
He is reported to have 75% accuracy in his predictions. His most recent predictions include possible earthquake occurrence in California/Mexico areas. He gave the dates of March 19-26th, 2011. There are many articles highlighting his ideas and interviews. Please research and see what you discover. Check in with your own guidance to see what you feel.
Here is one of the articles I found the most helpful. Super Moon to Cause California Quake? Jim Berkland Prediction
Animals remind us to rely on our instincts, be observant, and go forth boldy as we are guided to do so. How to you put to practice your animal instincts in practical daily life? What are your thoughts? Share your stories and comments below.
