The Screams in the African Forest
Camping in an East African forest, visitors are woken by terrible screams in the trees, like someone being attacked. The culprit is the size of a rabbit.
What was reported
In the forests of East Africa, night brings a startling noise from high in the trees: a series of croaks and creaks that rises into loud, piercing shrieks, like a child or woman screaming. Visitors unfamiliar with it have sometimes thought someone was in danger.
The calls can go on for several minutes and are answered by others across the forest.
Explanations offered
The screams come from tree hyraxes, small, furry animals that look like guinea pigs but are distant relatives of elephants. The males call at night, probably to mark their territory and attract mates. They're rarely seen, which makes the noise even more unnerving.
- When
- Heard every night
- Where
- Kakamega Forest, Kenya
- Witnesses
- Campers and forest visitors
- 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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