Crazy Animals

I had an interesting experience on the weekend.  My wife and I were visiting friends at their place in the town of Canmore - a small former coal mining town in the Rockies just east of Banff Alberta.  Its become "gentrified" (as good a word as any) and is very nice.  Anyway, on Saturday night we were sleeping in one of the ground level bedrooms with the window open a crack because my wife likes a cool room. At some point in the middle of the night, I'm awakened by some noises outside, then I'm treated to the most terrifying, loud, drawn out shrieking Ive ever heard in my life.  I'm laying there with my eyes wide open and my skin crawling wondering what on earth is outside my window.  There was more shrieking a little while later.  Needless to say I did not sleep well.  In the morning I asked my host if he'd heard it (no) and if he'd ever heard anything like it.  He hadn't.  We went out after breakfast to look for signs of a nocturnal death struggle as I was sure that what I'd heard had to be some poor creatures death agonies.  We found nothing.  I did some internet research and found this:

https://rootsrated.com/stories/the-most-...-in-nature

I suspected that it had to be the mating call of the red fox so went to YouTube to confirm  - yup, thats the sound I heard except louder and longer.  This is not a sound you want to hear in the middle of the night, trust me on that one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYYHrG6UC4U

This is where I heard the vixen’s scream. 

Yikes! That would scare the heck out of me for sure.

While I could live without that scream, the view is spectacular.

Yikes! That would scare the heck out of me for sure.

It did, and then some - as I said, it was in the middle of the night and at the time I had no idea that any animal made that sound let alone a fox.  I have to say, it has to be a brave male fox who, on hearing that scream, is attracted to the prospect of romantic activity.

Yikes! That would scare the heck out of me for sure.

It did, and then some - as I said, it was in the middle of the night and at the time I had no idea that any animal made that sound let alone a fox.  I have to say, it has to be a brave male fox who, on hearing that scream, is attracted to the prospect of romantic activity.

Amen!

Yikes! That would scare the heck out of me for sure.

It did, and then some - as I said, it was in the middle of the night and at the time I had no idea that any animal made that sound let alone a fox.  I have to say, it has to be a brave male fox who, on hearing that scream, is attracted to the prospect of romantic activity.

Actually, Mark, all of us are used to domestic cats and many have them as pets.  However, if you have ever heard the mating call of a female cat that has not been sterilized (usually feral), it completely belies both their size and their usual nature (when not threatened).  There have been times I have been awakened by such a sound and, once I realize what it is, I can only hope that there is a randy male cat close by to satisfy her needs so I can get back to sleep.

Years ago when camping raccoons would come around. The sound they make is far bigger than they are also, like that fox. You'd think they were bears to hear them. But no, just raccoons.