The Laughing Owl
New Zealanders once heard a sound at night like a madman laughing among the rocks. It was an owl, and it hasn't been heard for certain in over a century.
What was reported
The laughing owl, whēkau in Māori, was a large owl that lived among the limestone cliffs and rocky hills of New Zealand. Its call was described by early settlers as a series of loud, doleful shrieks, or maniacal laughter, echoing through the dark.
As stoats, cats and rats spread through the country, it vanished. The last one known for certain was found dead in South Canterbury in 1914.
Explanations offered
It was driven to extinction by introduced predators. Reports of its laughter have continued into later decades, but none has been confirmed, and it's considered extinct.
- When
- Last confirmed in 1914
- Where
- South Canterbury, New Zealand
- Witnesses
- Settlers, Māori, and naturalists
- Status
- Extinct
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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