Mauro says:

Can Animals Detect Ghosts?
I had an interesting experience quite a few years ago.
I went over to a relative’s farmhouse and spent the night there. I had my old hunting dog with me and I had already arranged with my relative to have her sleep with me in the guest room on an old carpet. My relative and his wife did not have dogs or cats at the time.
I had a very sound sleep that night and my dog too. The next morning I found my relatives in a state of exhaustion, like they had very little sleep.
"You look terrible. What happened?"
"Didn’t you hear tonight?" He told me with an astonished look.
He then went on to explain that during the night they heard a tremendous noise from downstairs, like someone moving the furniture and beating savagely on the walls. Thinking of a thief he loaded his hunting gun and, closely followed by his wife, gathered all his courage, lightened every light in the house and went downstair shouting "Stop or I’ll shoot!". The noise stopped immediately and the house was absolutely spotless, not a single dish out of place. All the doors and windows were closed shut.
He told me that during the whole episode me and my dog were both sound asleep: he even remember the old pooch’s snoring!
I don’t think they were pulling a my leg: they are simple working countryfolks and I know them extremely well.
I later talked about the experience with my father and he told me that he had a weird happening in that same house a few years before.
He went there with my mother and his Cocker Spaniel and, as myself, planned to stay there for the night. During the evening hours they were in the kitchen with my relatives when suddenly the dog (who was sleeping in a corner after a busy day in the countryside) started to growl.
From outside there came the sound of heavy steps, like a man wearing heavy military boots. As the steps got closer the dog ("a very sweet brute, never bit anybody" as my father put it) became wild with rage. Thinking of an intruder my relative run upstairs to grab his gun. Just as he was gone the steps stopped and the dog began to whimper. My father helped patrolling the property later but no intruder was found: despite the late hour he and my mother grabbed the dog, bid farewell, jumped in the car and headed home. Not a very heroic beahvious but quite understandable.
Over the years I tried to get my relatives to talk about these weird happenings but I always got scant replies. They referred to the mysterious nightly noises as "The Midsummer Ghost" but told me little more. I’ve always had the idea they were not telling he whole story. Talking with the countryfolk I later learnt that the previous tenants had a "classic" poltergeist haunting, with rappings on the walls, moving objects and a few smashed dishes. Their parish priest (both were devoted Roman Catholics) called for an exorcist’s help but he told them not to worry, since it was not an evil spirit but their daughter entering puberty. A few days after the exorcist’s visit the poltergeist "died away". The exorcist was probably right.
Sorry for the long story but I think it’s important to give all the details.

Mauro says:

Can Animals Detect Ghosts?
I remember talking to a fellow who had worked in South Africa and had a similar happening: during a single night he heard like every piece of furniture downstairs in his two-story house was being broken to pieces and some giant beast was thrashing about.
Fear had the best of him and stay locked inside his bedroom until dawn was well passed. When he cautiosly descended dowstairs (he feared some kind of wild animal could have entered his house) he found everything in order and every door and window barred shut.
He later related the episode to a native friend who, concerned for his well-being, went over to a sangoma (some kind of sorcerer-advisor-alchemist) asking for help.
The sangoma listened patiently and told him "Your friend has been visited by Old Baboon. There’s no need to worry, he won’t come back". And, like the sangoma said, that remained the only weird happening in that house in the South African veld.
Of course the sangoma never explained who or what Old Baboon is and why he takes such a pleasure in terrifying people.
I think this proves that the phenomenon is widespread and well known by many cultures worldwide. What causes it is, of course, still a matter of debate.