The Roar in the Treetops
At dawn in the forests of Central America, a deep, rolling roar echoes for miles. First-time visitors think it's a jaguar. It's a monkey.
What was reported
Howler monkeys live high in the trees of Central and South American forests. Each morning and evening, groups roar together: a deep, booming, growling chorus that can be heard up to 5 kilometres away, among the loudest calls of any land animal.
The ancient Maya revered howler monkeys as the patrons of art and writing, and showed them as scribes and artists on their painted pots.
Explanations offered
Howlers have an enlarged, hollow bone in the throat that amplifies their calls. Groups roar to tell each other where they are and to defend their territory, which saves them from fighting.
- When
- Every dawn
- Where
- Community Baboon Sanctuary, Belize
- Witnesses
- Anyone in the forests of Central and South America at dawn
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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