In the middle of the night, have you ever heard high-pitched screaming coming from the woods? Sounds that can send shivers down your spine, or simple stop you from sleeping. Many of you may already know that this noise is actually being made by none other than the Red Fox. It is a sound that can be heard throughout the year and, although made by both sexes, is usually made by the female fox, otherwise known as the Vixen.
Foxes make various noises for different reasons, but the scream is usually made around the breeding season. Screams are used to confirm territory between rival foxes. The females also make this screaming call around the time of and during mating.
To our ears it can sound like a painful call, particularly as foxes breed in the same way that dogs do. Mating can last for up to 20 minutes during which the two animals effectively become ‘locked together’. Unless disturbed this is not normally painful and the ‘screaming’ can be considered as the fox’s love song.
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Its is 3.25 am and me and my partner have been woken by what sounds like an animal in pain coming from the woods by our house. Alarmed by this we next out to see if there was anything stuck in the fence of the school thinking it could be a fox. After looking and finding nothing and the noise stopping me have come back inside and searched fox screams and the Mogadishu we have heard is actually the red fox scream. Very interesting to find out what it was and it is normal for red foxes to make such a loud noise.
We live in Telford TF7 area.
In Lake Utopia, New Brunswick Canada I heard terrifying screams that woke me from my sleep at 12:15am. I was startled so I got out of bed and went to the kitchen where I heard the screams louder, and seemed to be moving from one end of the house to the other. I had absolutely no idea that it was a red fox until my friend Manning listen to the recording I took!
Woke up to a frightening scream coming from the woods. Never heard it before. Just learned that it is a red fox. Thought maybe it was a coyote or wild mink which are also in our area here in Northern New Jersey, USA. Better keep our tiny dogs inside!
Hi, we’ve had foxes come in our backyard near our fenced in area for our dogs, it seems there has been a fox (not sure if it is the same one) who will be passing by screaming
And of course our dogs will start barking at it. As it leaves our yard and with the dogs still barking, the fox continues screaming. I am just wondering why this fox is screaming? I mean, is this fox looking also for a mate?
Laura,
Hi guys,
It’s good to see so many people talking about screaming foxes, it’s one of those events you’ll always remember.
In answer to your question Laura there could be a number of reasons why this fox was ‘screaming’. Female foxes will often be the one ‘screaming’ to attract a male fox in the breeding season. But foxes make various types of noises and as this fox was close to your dogs it may have been more of a defensive or territory cry. How often does it visit the garden?
Russ
We were woken up at about 2:30 am this morning to a very loud eerie scream, repeating over and over, coming from the golf course behind our house (Cobbs Creek GC, in Philadelphia). We thought maybe it was a rabid animal – we went out to investigate from the safety of our deck and shined a flashlight out into the darkness saw a pair of eyes shing/staring back at us…that’s all we could see in the dark. It was moving only occasionally within about a 5 foot area for about 15 minutes, screaming repeatedly all the while. We really thought is was a rabid animal so didn’t want to get too close to investigate. it eventually moved slowly away and the screaming stopped altogether. I looked online today and listened to online recordings of fox screams, and sure enough, that’s what it was. We’ve lived here a long time and have heard this before but its always been further away, and never for as long as this. We often see foxes around the same location and we are very conscious of our cats’ safety – we did have one cat disappear last year and suspect he was taken by something out there. 🙁 Thanks for your interesting article. Patty and Carl in Philadelphia
12.10am Bristol. Heard screams and thought something terrible was going on outside. Looked out of the window to see a fox in the middle of the road screaming about once every 10s. Continued until a car came down the road. Lots of urban foxes living in the middle of Bristol !
I’ve got one screaming in spring grove il driving it nuts all night by calling back but she won’t ever come out and I’m not going to disturb her or him
Just heard the strangest noise ever in the front garden (lots of bushes and trees, etc), looked out the window as it sounded like someone may have been hurt or in danger and I just see a fox sat screaming, not in pain, just screaming with another fox nearby and casually walking off into a bush! Ever so strange, hubby wasn’t pleased tho as it was 2:30am!
22:13pm and fox screaming is well and truly underway in the backgarden. London TW13
Last night we heard a fox screaming at 5am walking down the road. Having never heard anything like that, I honestly thought it was a woman being attacked. I looked out the window and sure enough saw a fox. Bristol England.
Winston-Salem, NC USA- We have heard this scream off and on over the summer. It comes from the woods at the edge of our backyard. It could be as early as dusk but more often well after dark. Initially, I thought it was friends of my teenage boys out in the woods trying to scare us 🙂 However, it kept happening over a period of time. It started up again last night and tonight so I finally thought to look on line to see what it might be. I listened to the sound of the red fox and immediately knew that was it! It made sense because a red fox has been spotted several times in our neighborhood this summer. I got a glimpse of it once as it appeared at the edge of the woods one afternoon – so beautiful! Such a horribly scary scream! 😉
I’ll never forget the first time we heard a red fox screaming in our back yard. We woke up to what sounded like a little girl screaming so loudly we thought someone was being killed outside. I have 2 cats that I try to keep in at night but sometimes they will not come in and stay outside. There is also several stray cats that hunt in that area. My back yard backs up to a field. I know that there is a fox den close to the property line in the trees. I have seen the holes in the ground and I have seen the fox run across my back yard in the early morning hours. Every once in awhile we get to hear the screaming from our front and back yard. Once it was close to my gargage door and it ran away when I opened the door. It is a sound that stays with you and you won’t forget it.
The resident fox behind our house in the woods came about 200 ft from our dog radio fence and sat staring at our golden retriever shrieking. He/she did this for about an hour, even while I was out with the dog, until I walked up in front of the fence where the dog couldn’t go. We didn’t know if it was territorial deal or a desperate female fox. Then we started finding fox scat at the fringes and then right up next to our house, so we think it’s territorial. Not happy about this since this particular fox looks a little mangy and I don’t want my dog to pick up the parasite.
Make sure that your dog is immunized against mange, just in case the fox is mangy and gets too close.
There are lots of urban foxes in dudley. I just woke up in a panick thinking i could hear burglars on the drive so i opened the window to investigate and a fox appeared out the bushes. I watched a while and it seems we have some renting our drive for the night. Once one nipped off there was a lot of screaming and then another popped out the bush. They are beautiful animals but that scream always gets me. Oh and its 3:43 in the morning.
Where I live it is quite a woodish area but not the countryside and throughout the year ill hear fox screams id say very often every few months but I’ve looked out to see a younger baby fox being attacked by several older ones followed bitten etc..They seem to come out the woods and situate themselves near open plots of green and bushes.
Me and my dog got woken up about 30 minutes ago by screaming and man when you’re deep asleep then hear that your mind goes into overdrive, i know know where horror films and being afraid of the dark came from lol. Being an animal lover i had to do a little research to make sure it was a fox especially since my dog wanted to jump out the window to investigate. We went out the door to calm her down instead, anyway love the information big Thank You.
From Buttershaw, Bradford, West Yorkshire. England. Not near a Forrest though but not far off nature places. At about 3am.
We live in a heavily wooded suburb of Boston and have red fox living in a glen across the road. Today around 4:30 am I started to hear the most eerie scream – with earplugs in it sounded like someone whispering harshly in my room! Upon listening closely I could tell it was an animal outdoors and then after listening to clips of red fox I knew what it was. My kids were terrified!!
We have a fox in our neighborhood in Alexandria VA and usually you can only catch a glimpse of it. Tonight I was out walking my dog and it saw us from across a street and started screaming at us. Scariest thing I ever heard. Got out of the yard quickly. I guess we encroached on fox territory.
I think we have foxes living at the end off the garden and yes they scream.I wish they would find a new home, I have two dogs and all this noise unsettles them. I am also concerned for both as one day my jack russell is quick on his toes and will creep up on this lazy foxes residing at the back of the garden. The dogs do need to use the garden. Let’s hope they get fed up with running away.
Last two nights, fox screaming her fool head off in my backyard. I’m already not a big hit with the neighbors, since I have two howling beagles. But this…! I’m in Washington, D.C.
In the D.C. Metro area, at 2:00 am this morning while lying in bed I heard a dreadful screaming noise, very disturbing, it sounded like an animal in pain. Never heard before…and hope I won’t again..
We were woken at 3am this morning by the screams of foxes across our road, i presumed these to be mating. i have never heard it so loud before.
Tonight after midnight my 2 Great Danes were barking like crazy. I could hear what sounded like an injured cat near a window. I opened my back door to hear a horrible eerie scream. It almost sounded human. There are woods and a stream on the backend of our property. I woke up my husband explaining and duplicating what I heard…it was a terrible sound that concerned me. He casually says oh it’s probably a fox. Well he was correct. I looked up their sounds on the internet and that is what it was. I saw a big red fox run across my backyard two days ago but never heard that sound. Now I know the screams of the red fox!
At 5 a.m. in Milwaukee, I got up to let the dog out. Sounded like a sick eagle or goose screaming on my garage and the dog would not go out. I got on my boots and coat and went out and by this time the screaming was on the front lawn. He or She was looking in the air and screaming this loud yell. I scared it away but heard it screaming again down a few houses. Pretty soon it came running and crossed the street and it looked like it had something in its mouth. Never thought foxes yelled that loud.
Hi, I live in Dublin, Ireland (close to the Dublin mountains) and in our housing estate there are red foxes freely coming and going once the sun goes down… they scream at night too! One night i thought it was my baby through the monitor so i rushed to his room only to find him peacefully sleeping!!! I then opened the window and spotted a beautiful red fox on our neighbours wall … he or she was screaming i will never forget this… i was actually worried about him/her thought that she had lost a pup or something.
Anyway, thanks for your article… next time i hear them i will smile! 🙂
Hi, im sooo glad that this article is here! Ive just heard what i thought was a dog in pain in the woods at 01:15 as im an animal lover ive not been able to rest and was investigating but thanks to this article i can put my mind at rest. Thankyouu 🙂 !!
Just before midnight last night I heard the most spine-chilling screams and screeches coming from outside my bedroom window. We live right on the edge of a beautiful park, with a lake, woods and lots of green open spaces.
The sounds echoed all over and at first I thought a fox had got a goose, as there is a big flock on our park. And then it sounded like a cat fight, and then a woman screaming. I could tell from the sound they were running all over the park, and I also heard what sounded like flapping, like a goose fighting.
Suddenly the noise came closer, and right outside my window, by a small copse of trees, I saw two young foxes – the one in front was screaming, it sounded like it was in pain! The one behind was making the noise like the goose flapping, it tried to mount the one in front, then they turned round to fight each other, up on their back legs, and while they were doing this, the front one (I’m assuming this was the female) made barking noises, then they ran off again and the female was screaming again!
They ran all over the park for the next quarter of an hour or so, and I can only assume they repeated what I had seen from the noises they were making!
It was fascinating to watch, and quite thrilling to hear, if eerie in the dark, and I felt quite honoured to have witnessed it! At least now if I hear those screams again, they won’t be quite as scary!
Woke up 3.25 the other evening was quite upset heard screaming for a long time I had visions of a fox caught somewhere went on for a long time, got a bit tearful thought fox must have been trapped. Went outside into garden as was so close and I was worried stopped for a while but couldn’t see anything. We get a fox sometimes two every evening and I put out dog biscuits and food most night so look forward to see “our fox” every night.
Brilliant to hear from so many people on this, foxes have had a difficult relationship with people in the past but it’s great to hear people are now enjoying their neighbourhood foxes!
Our local foxes have started up in the last couple of nights, the vixen screaming loudly letting all the males know exactly where she is!
Russ
It’s 3:45 am in Yorkshire and I’ve just been woken up by a fox screaming, and even though I know what it is it still makes me jump!! It’s such a strange noise! I love being awake at this time though and catching a glimpse of the foxes that live on our street, as I’ve read it’s mainly the females that go out looking for food I refer to her as felicity the fox! My family think I’m mad, and although I would never feed them I do think they’re so lovely! It’s nice to read that other people love foxes too despite their bad reputation.
It’s 0300 hrs and I can hear a fox screaming, even though I know what it is, it’s not the sound I really want to hear, when I am patrolling in the dark:) Hull
Just heard the sound for the first time in my life coming from the woods right outside my back window in Cork, Ireland at 1am. Absolutely terrified me! Glad to find out what it actually was! Will never forget this night for as long as I live! I genuinely thought it was a woman’s scream until it kept going on and on in the exact same tone.
Looking down the comments it’s quite interesting to see a lot of the screaming sounds where made around the same time. I heard the screaming at around 3:25 and it went on for 15 to 20 mins! I assumed like most it was an injured animal and happened to come across this article. I think it’s definitely a fox outside! I saw one out my back garden the other day. I live in the city centre center in Edinburgh, but there’s a train line running at the back of my house. Sounds very creepy!
Near Edinburgh, Scotland @ 1.45am – WHAT A FLIPPING RACKET!!!! Thought someone was being murdered. We live in a town and there are urban foxes around. But do they need to make such a blooming noise when they are mating -Tired from Penicuik! 🙂
It’s 2.20 am I’m laying in bed and heard a loud scream it sounded like a women screaming, I can’t sleep now because it sounded horrible.
It’s 4:25 in central London and I just heard them! so I checked out where the sound came from and I spotted three red foxes by the window. They were apparently calm, just walking in the grass, all together but keeping distances. I must say it was a beautiful view 🙂
Olney, Md: We have enjoyed seeing foxes walking through our yard sometimes in the mornings, but at around midnight, we heard what sounded like a kitten crying. Worried, I jumped out of bed to check on our two cats, and realized the noise was coming from outside. I opened the front door and could mow tell there was horrible, loud screaming coming from across the street–somewhere in their front yard. They have a cat they let out during the day, so I was afraid it might be him, until suddenly the screamer emerged from the darkness, as did her partner–two red foxes separated and went in opposite directions. Interesting, but, at that hour, also quite frightening!
Me and my partner where woken up last night around 3am to very strange screaming noises. Looked outside and saw a fox infront of our house. It saw us and then walked away. Never heard such strange noises before we thought a cat was injured or something. We live in uk, East Riding of yorkshire, hull.
My son and I were awakened last night by what sounded like two women, about a quarter of a mile apart, screaming in turn. Sounded like someone was being murdered. Our dog ran to the back sliding glass door and boomed his disapproval. In the morning, we looked it up on the Internet and found a Youtube video of Red Fox screams. What a noise. We never dreamed a fox could sound like that. I wonder if we had a male and female calling to each other or two of the same gender challenging each other. We live outside Gold Bar, Washington, at the foot of the Cascades.
Woken up at 3.20 by horrible screams, panicked jumped out of bed and looked out front and saw the neighbour opposite with a torch in the garden trying to see what was going on. I then noticed a fox on my drive.
We got two new bunnys 2 weeks ago and they live in the garden, now wide awake (4.40) as I am worried the fox knows they are there and wants to eat them!!
I actually had a Red Fox at my front door doing this last night. Literally right at the bottom of my steps, standing there calling. I heard it in the distance and as it got cIoser I think it heard my dog barking in response to the calls, and came over to see where the noise was coming from. It stood there calling for a minute or two before walking away.
This is a kind of unrelated story:
Last year I was photographing a mother fox and her kits from a few hundred yards away. I was focusing in two kits at the den while the 3rd kit followed its mother in to the woods. A few minutes later the 3rd kit came prancing out of the woods with a dead bird in its mouth, and ran right up to me (on my toes almost) as if he was showing off his catch. He got nervous and ran away when I moved my camera towards him. – Foxes are great.
I live in DC and regularly hear the call of the fox at night. Comforting to know that they are still thriving in such an urban area! Love it…but it does freak my friends out when they come to visit 🙂
Every night I hear this! Every..single..night! At 9pm and 3am! I’m so frustrated with it, at first it was pretty cool, but now, now I just want it gone. It scares my kids and is driving me but. Anyway to lead this fox away?
By the way, I’m in fletcher NC
I have heard that spreading men’s urine around your garden helps to scent uour territory. Dont know if that would help? Get someone you know to wee around garden. Wont do harm to try it I guess!
Around midnight I came to bed and my bedroom window is open since its a nice night and I heard an AWFUL screaming in the distance. I thought someone was being attacked. Then I thought to look up fox screams, since I had heard someone mention that before and sure enough, the recording I listened to was identical to the screaming I heard out my window. I will never forget that sound!
12 am tonight heard them again at the park entrance to Decoy woods, Newton Abbot where I have seen a fox cross the road lots of times during the years to the old farmhouse. Not sure how old/she is now or perhaps its a grown up cub Tonight seems to be one of there mating nights in the same area 1/4 mile away from our house on Kingskerswell Road near Decoy primary school and sounds lovely as am used to them and know what they sound like after all this time of living here Not worried though as am used to their noise after 25 years of living here . Lovely animals but understand what’s its like to own lambs, chickens etc etc
Beautiful creatures and met one really close up yesterday at The hedgehog/animal hospital at Ogwell , Newton Abbot. Abandoned Fox cubs from the suburbs of London brought to Devon and are really cared for. You can watch them during the daytime come up from their hyde for food (given by humans) and also watch them underground via web cam. Truly amazing to watch and so so beautiful.
I live in the USA in the deep south state of Louisiana. I watch many tv shows and movies that take place in the UK. My sister and I discussed this eerie sound and she thought it was peacocks but I knew it wasn’t so I looked it up and sure enough it was the magical fox. We do have the Red Fox in our state (except in the northeast portion of the state) and I have heard many sounds in our woods that could be the fox, but they never seem as loud and spooky. I add wanting to hear the fox of the UK to my list of reasons to visit your fine country!
It is 02:10 in the morning and I am hearing that loud scream, interspersed with barks, not from my house. I recognise it as the sound of a fox, which I haven’t heard since this time last year.
For the past month I have been feeding a fox which visits the back garden every night just after midnight. It arrives regular as clockwork and watches me, watching it, as it eats. Last night two of them arrived. They aren’t at all put out by my presence. I give them dog food, biscuit, various scraps including left over pizza. I love doing it as they are beautiful creatures.
By the way, I live in Devon, UK.
Last year around this time of the year the foxes made their presents known around 5 am. It first sounded like a cat in agony, I have many barn cats. Every night afterwards they were back, probably looking for food for their babies. I have to say, they are cute when you watch them on video but…… I became very tired of being woken up during the night to their screams. My cats start to seem scared and luckily we never lost any to them. When the pups were probably getting bigger the nightly screams became less, they were probably moving further out for hunting lessons. I am not looking forward to another couple of months of being woken up with their screams under my window. We are also trying to make it so that the fox can’t get at the cats so easily by changing the cat access door into the barn. I am sure one night there was a fox in the barn that went in through the cat door. We have no farm animals so the barn is a home for our cats and will be a better safe haven once the door location is changed. Cute but pains also!
I am from central Alberta Canada
There is a fox right outside my house screaming. I’m watching her; she’s facing the house. It’s 5:30 am. My mom even went outside and it ran but came back and screamed some more lol.
I woke up last night to a bone chilling noise I have heard before and never knew what it was. This time it was right outside my window and they were open because of the nice weather it was about 2:30 in the morning BC it started then I heard leaves like something was jumping around in a pile of leaves I luckily had a spot light to witch I saw a fox running away as I yelled and shined the light at it and then I got on this site to confirm why and what was making this god awful sound I had goose bumps for like 20 -30 minutes I don’t get why we get chills like that its not really scary well at first before I knew what it was it freaked me out I thought it was cats but never heard a cat make those kind of sounds any way good info from everyone
It is April 25, 2014 and I live in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. At about 3:00am I woke up to a loud screaming noise. I was very scared at first because it sounded like a woman screaming. Then I realized that it was not a woman and that it was an animal. The animal sounded like it was screaming “hi” every 5 seconds. Then I googled animal screaming and I figured out that it was the red tail fox after I watched a video on YouTube of a fox screaming. The scream on the YouTube video was the same scream that I heard outside of my home. My dad also told me he saw a red tail fox in my area recently. I live in the suburbs and there are woods in the back of my home. I have been up all night reading about red tail foxes and watching videos on YouTube. They are very interesting animals. I hope they don’t wake me up anymore though! It is now 4:30am and I cannot go back to sleep!
Woke up at 5am to what we thought was cats fighting, used to the sound of that with the amount of cats around, then heard flapping. I have chickens in my back garden and something had broken into the pen and had one of my chickens, dragged it through a hole at bottom of garden then disappeared. Then heard the ‘fox scream’. Do they make a sound like cats fighting?
Grantham, NH 8:30 a.m.
Heard this bizarre noise that I thought was a dinosaur sized crow “cawing”. I was almost afraid to look. My dogs, a Shi Tzu and a Dachshund/Chihuahua mix, were barking their heads off! I noticed the fox prancing around the backyard (we live in a very wooded area). Fortunately we have a screened in back deck about one story up so there is no chance of interaction… until I let the dogs back out.
Normally, I would not fret over wild life. Let’s face it, we live in rural NH and we expect it. But about a week or two ago, two small children were attacked by a rabid fox in a park no less than an hour from us. That fox was captured and put down. Now I’m a bit leery of the little red creatures.
But… at least I know what the fox says now!
3.41 in East Kilbride Scorland, fox keeping me awake with her ‘love song’. Built up area, right next to a busy road and she is determined to keep singing/squealing.
Augh! Knew right what it was and STILL creeped me out! We live right on Rock Creek Park just north outside of Washington DC and my husband, a police officer, gets calls all the time about the “child crying/screaming in the woods” around here. They are beautiful creatures and one has been right in my front yard (quarter acre in a suburb) but too close for my comfort as I have three hens, two cats, and a dog! Every night lately around 3/3:30am.
3.15 am Glasgow, Scotland. Built up residential area!! I’ve been woken by the most terrifying screams. I genuinely though a woman had been stabbed in the street. I’m sorry Russell but I defo didn’t enjoy it. Thank god my partner is here tonight or I would not have got back to sleep, my heart’s pounding out my chest! It was a small lone red fox in my garden.
Gulf Coast beach area of Alabama near the Florida state line. We have been hearing screams coming from the woods near us, starting about twilight. They sound just like Maria Sharapova every time she serves the ball. I thought it was a screech owl at first. Then my husband saw a red fox while out for a walk (we live in a fairly built up subdivision with more development going on all the time). We wondered if the fox(es) might be making the screech and listened to a recording. Sure enough, it’s our foxes. It makes me sad that their habitat has largely been taken over by huge three story houses on pilings. But after reading thatthe scream is their “love song” maybe they are managing to.carry on regardless. I hope so.
Our foxes scream over and over, for hours at a time, sometimes. Almost every night, we hear them. I think they are probably rivals claiming territory, since there are two calls, a first one and then the answering one. I love hearing them.
Last night I woke up on the most terrifying noise I ever heard in my life. It sounded like that of a young female child being dragged while screening. My wife and I were terrified. The sound moved so fast from west to east with fast speed that I felt is impossible for human. Our backyard is very worded area, so the day after I went throughout backyard looking for the “blood” of the victim. Finally, at night I asked my neighbor if any one heard the “sound of agony” of last night. One of the neighbors mentioned that it might be from the fox in my backyard. I only realized that there is a fox den in my backyard the day before. When I heard the recording on your site, I knew that this is the same scary scream that we heard last night. This sound is very irritating. We live in Rochester, MN
Just dozing off @ 23:39 and the most haunting scream comes from the side of my house (right under my bedroom window…..GREAT!!) and at first thought it was cats fighting. But it was screaming. I had a feeling it was foxes. Poked my head out the window to check a dog hadn’t been attacked (dont know where the dog wud have come from but best to check 😉 and saw 2 bloomin foxes walking down the opposite lane. Had to go down and double check our dog kizzy was in her bed, and she was. They carried on for 10 mins then left. Husband not happy he was woken, and now a little creeped out. Some people love em im sorry but I cant stand em. Ill never think of “wat does a fox say” in the same way again!! My 8 yr old will be gutted she missed it 😉
Got woken up by terrifying screams at this hour. .thought someone was being attacked. Went out to investigate. .and seen a red fox in the school grounds. .. I live in south shields North east..tyne and wear. .very disturbing to say the least
The foxes usually gather in the street on the nights the rubbish bags are out for the dustmen. And at 4am this morning the screaming was at its best, but what I want to know is why my dog sleeps through it every time. He is not deaf or old but simply takes no notice of the foxes and yet if a cat or dog makes any sounds during the night he will wake the whole household barking.
Hi, l have been hearing the fox screams for sometime now around my house (built up area in Glasgow, Scotland) and often see the foxes late at night. Last night was a bit exciting for me though. The screams were very loud this time and woke me up so I went to the front window to investigate. On my front garden (grassed area) were two foxes in full mating motion!! What a surprise to see this as I live on a main road and would have thought they would choose a safer place (or get a room lol). They were startled by me or something else a few moments later and separated but I heard them again a little later and a bit further away. I am glad I got to witness nature at its best though and I hope they go on to have a lovely little family.
I live across the street from a wooded area. My son told me that during the middle of the night he was awoken by screaming sounds. He thought that it might have been a stray cat being killed by a racoon or something like that. But he said it sounded really bad. Then one night when I came home late, I got out of my car and heard a screaming sound like nothing I have ever heard before! It made me scared of what it might be.
I had heard of Red Fox sightings in my area but now I know for sure that they are around because I googled the “sound a fox makes” and low and behold it was the same noise that both my son and I heard – a FOX! They are so beautiful, I hope I get a chance to see it!
I live in Woodbridge Township New Jersey.
We have red foxes living next door here in Virginia Beach. They have been screaming almost every night as of late and driving my dogs crazy. Driving me crazy too as It interrupts my sleep. Tonight one sat right by the front door and looking at the house just started screaming. It is as if it was taunting the dogs as they go to the window in a frenzy of barking. Is this fox letting us know it is the night ruler of our front yard or what? I love the beauty of this magical animal but it seems to be taunting us and My sleep is suffering. Any suggestions to discourage this behavior?
Almost three times a week I wake up to a terrible sound which almost sounds like a woman screaming. Across the street behind the houses there is a pretty large wooded area, this is generally where I hear the screaming coming from. However, in the past few weeks or so I’ve been awaken by the terrifying screech noticing it is coming from right under my window, and you guess it! I nearly pee my pants it’s so loud. At first I thought this was the scream of a fisher cat until I looked up the screams and noticed the distinct differences. I think there could be a few foxes in the area and ive also seen a coyote if two around so there’s plenty of biodiversity out there!
I live in Pennsylvania on top of a mountain surrounded by woods for the first time in 30 years for the past 3 nights we hear the fox screaming I figured it had something to do with mating, thank yo for the information on your site
Live in Western Kentucky, pretty close to Kentucky lake, we have a huge ravine behind the house and every night right around 2am this female fox starts her call and she is so close to the house she gets the dogs barking and me out of bed, it’s just a plain erie sound. Yesterday I decided to take an adventure into this large ravine, well to my suprise I now know why she has been so close to the house, I found her den, about 30 yards from the backyard, but half way down this ravine. I want to put a field camera up and just get some pictures of her, and maybe I can get some of her pups if she has any.
woken about 1.30am to the sound of screaming which sounded like someone was being attacked. looked through the window and saw a fox. why do they make this terrifying noise.
Sue
England
I feed a family of foxes most nights but tonight i was on my way to feed them when one of the young ones started screening I’ve never heard anything like it before and that’s in twenty years of feeding the same family after talking to it for a few minutes it calmed down and stopped but i was really worried it was injured or something thanks for this site to put my mind at ease keep up the good work
Incredible screaming – i hadnt heard it before. We are both vets so were prepared to go and look for the injured animal but curiosity and common sense kicked in and discovered it is a fox. We live in Leicester.
Last night around 2:20am,the horrendous noise of two foxes outside the house,looked out of the bedroom Windows and two red foxes,one look worn out,I guess they had just mated,one still lay in the road for around 10mins,then the other one checked it and then wandered off,the other got up and went on its way after its rest .
My wife and I live 20 miles outside on Manhattan and we were woken up last night at 3:30AM to what we thought was a young child in distress. We looked out our bedroom window to fin a beautiful fox. It continued its call for a few more minutes before it ran off (we think it heard us). So good to know it was probably a female marking her territory as we thought she might have been calling for her lost cubs.
There are no woods near me but a fox has been spotted numerous times near my house. I live near a main road in the city.
Over the last few weeks roughly around the same time each night you can hear a high pitched screaming noise.
At first it shocked me and I wondered what it could be but now I know what it is I am no longer wary.
My brother was the one who spotted a fox cub happily walking down our neighbours drive a few weeks ago but I am yet to catch a glimpse.
I’m working late from home tonight and I was startled by what I though was a neighbourhood child screaming in agony… and then I remembered our landlady mentioning screaming foxes. (There are numerous foxes: red, silver and patchy in our area of Pownal, PEI, Canada). It really does have a freaky banshee-like sound! Woke my youngest daughter up out of a dead sleep! It’s a horror story sound I’ll never forget!
Omg, so scary, I can see them from my window at about 1 am, I live straight across the river from greenwitch
1:53 am in Fairfax, VA. My brother (in the next room over,) my cat, and I were woken up by screams. I thought the first scream was a person, but because of the numerous identical screams produced afterwards, I realised it was probably just a fox. I was curious as to why exactly they make these sounds, which then brought me to this website. Thank you for this info!
Hear foxes screaming regularly. seen them in the garden loads wake us up during the night but don’t run away or scare by the torch or outside light. Come to see if they can get at our chickens and eat the cat food. Heard scream again tonight 11.30pm live in rural Shropshire
We have a fox in the area our apartment complex. I’ve seen and heard it both. One morning it was a odd sound it ended up being the danger call. he was very small.I thought it was a young fox that got scared and lost. We have heard the vixen call also.
I keep finding ripped up dog toys in my garden and excrement which is not nice
why do foxes do that? its all so annoying I also see foxes running around on the street screaming from 1am till 6am and ive heard them making that noise from the back garden to lol im in Kingswinford,West Midlands 😉
Hi Kerry,
Sounds like you have a healthy fox population near you! Young foxes are just like other young animals and learn by playing. The dog toys have probably become part of their play time as they attempt to learn more about the world around them.
Thanks for writing in,
Russ
Dublin, Ireland – near mountains. We’re quite used to seeing foxes where we live as there’s a large communal garden with a pond, wooded area etc. I just went to go investigate the sound because it was going on so long, I seriously thought the fox/es were injured or trapped on something. I also think it pretty unusual to be screeching at this time of year. Well used to hearing it in the wee hours in January or so but September…hmmm. My investigations only revealed two sets of eyes reflecting the torch light. They scarpered off as I got closer. I wonder if a new fox has decided to move into the area and they were having a face-off??
we had a red fox in our neighbors yard tonight screaming his head off for a good half an hour shined a flashlight on it still sat there screaming. North Jersey
Hi, It is 6pm in Kentish Town in London.. after dark. Lots of loud screaming going on in the next door`s big garden. I rushed out as usual and clapped my hands and it moved off, then started again further away. It was an awful noise and something you hear here all the time. I am so glad I looked it up as I was convinced the small fox was being hurt badly, and didn`t realise that it is not from pain but from the other reasons given. It certainly sounds like it is being tortured and is very scary for me to hear night after night. I have a small dark brown fox living nearby, a vixen as she squats to wee I`ve noticed, and often comes right up to the patio and has stolen one of my suede gardening gloves, moved my shoes around and taken all 6 balls that I left in the garden for them to play with. I really thought it was being hurt but am much relieved to read that it isn`t so. I did hear one killing one of the pair of young squirrels though as I recognised its cries and now there are just the parents and the one youngster coming here for nuts. It upset me but that is what foxes do I know. My cat has learn to tolerate the foxes, there are about three of them very close by and she has had a few playful skirmishes with the small one but on the whole gives them a wide berth. Being very territorial she did try to chase them off but realised after a few bad attempts that jumping on them isn`t such a good idea. She is young so is still very playful, hence the jumping and smacking on the bottom of the small fox in a game.
I have a question for you – I have been here for only 4 months now, and at first tended to put out bowls of water for the cat to drink outside. Each time I found in the morning that it smelt very bad indeed and on inspection could tell it had been wee`d in by a fox. I can`t understand why they have to wee into a container or a bowl of water. I was hoping to make a small wildlife pond but feel that if they are going to wee in it, and it does reek very badly when they do this, that it wouldn`t be a good idea. Have you any idea why they do this at all?
We have a red fox appearing sporadically during the year. It is Nuly as I write this and she is back, screaming. I livr in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire with wooded areas behind our back yard. My cat is an outdoor boy, used to being let out at night. When we hear the fox screaming it sends my cat running to get in and me running to the front door to try to frighten the fox away. My question; Would a red fox go after an 11 pound cat?
Just woke up to let the dog in the garden at 1:25am had to look out the door and make sure she was alone in the garden after hearing ear scraping screams thinking some one was in trouble…. or shrugging it of as a cat thinking meh … Once the bitch was in went up stairs looked out the window to try and see what’s up. someone else was outside investigating and must have startled the fox cause I see it dash past in to the bushes and all went quiet nice to see one alive and well 😉
About 10 minutes ago my little brother rushed into my room and said there was a creepy screaming noise coming from outside and our dog was barking at it. We had no idea what it was until I googled it and turned out it was a fox. The screams were made even creepier by the fact that there is a graveyard behind our house and the screams were coming from there
About 10 minutes ago my little brother rushed into my room and said there was a creepy screaming noise coming from outside and our dog was barking at it. We had no idea what it was until I googled it and turned out it was a fox. The screams were made even creepier by the fact that there is a graveyard behind our house and the screams were coming from there
Last week I had just come inside from taking our dogs out for the last time before bed. I stepped on the back deck to feed our outside cats and heard a screech that I had never heard before. It sounded like a banshee. I got my husband, a flashlight and a gun and we went to investigate. In the ravine behind our house we continued to hear this God awful screech intermintanally, heading towards our barn. We got a glimpse of something running through our back pasture but could not tell what it was. This morning at 4:45 am I took our dogs out. When I came back in, I again stepped onto back deck and heard it again. We had narrowed it down to a fox or a bobcat by this time. My girlfriend had me listen to a fisher cat. On that link was a recording of a red fox and racoons fighting; apparently these are often mistaken for the fisher. Sure enough, it was a red fox. I started researching why it would make that god awful noise and thanks to your article I believe it to be territorial. Ww had known we had a fox living in our ravine last year, but had never heard this sound before. I am not ashamed to say that it scared the bejesus out of me! We are in NE Missouri, in the country, so we have coyotes everywhere, but, I’ve never been scared by them lol. Thanks for a good article!
It’s 1:30 and I was terrified when I heard the screaming I jumped up so fast n looked out the window first thing I c is a red fox screaming lol..goin back to bed now..gn
We have been living in the same spot for about 16 years well about four years ago we started seeing a very fox coming around and when she comes around she doesn’t even pay us any attention she has walked right by us probably within 20 feet.well about 3 to 4 months ago I seen four little baby grey foxes which I thought where kittens in the woods so I walked out there and started making noises trying to get their attention and when I did they started turning their heads side to side and walked almost all the way to me while the mom stood in the woods just staring and every now and then I will her my dogs barking and when I look out the big Greg fox and my male dog are running alone the fence back and fourth almost like they are playing it is so cool but tonight I hear this weird screaming barking noise and so I grab my light and go out in the edge of the woods because I seen eyes and it was one of the Grey foxes walking and making the noises almost looked like one of the smaller ones which was about a foot and a half tall it made me wonder if something was wrong
Its 4am here in Kelowna, BC.
Heard crying shrieking howling sounds as if they were in pain, looked out and saw two foxes in the dark shadows. The one fox stood still, the other ran up and down the road below the street lamps as though very scared or excited. Protective of the other fox maybe, it was so bizarre.
I noticed other neighbours waking up to these cries as well as you could hear doors and windows sliding open ahaha.
It was a beautoful sight as i have never experienced that before.
Their tails were long and bushy.
Fascinating…
Far out I thought I was crazy! Thank goodness for this post. I’ve been scrawling the internet, and this definitely sounds like what I heard. Was woken up at 4.20am in Melbourne, Australia by a fox (which are not natives so not widely dispersed) making this noise from the parkland and creek across from our house. Such a creepy sound that i’ve never heard before! Glad I know what it is now!!
Was woken up at 5am, and like others have reported I thought it was a horrific attack outside! I remembered that someone had told me that foxes make this terrifying sound so I Googled it and there it was on YouTube. Before that I was going between thinking ‘is it a fox’? To ‘I should call the police just in case!’ I wonder how many times they have been called out on that noise?! Very chilling. I live in West Sussex, U.k.
This morning at 03:45 we was woke to what sounded like a real baby crying, so realistic and sent shivers down my spine. I had to get up and check…started by checking out 7 year old….figured to look out the window and a red fox was stood crying out. 10 minutes later she had enough and off she went. We hear and see a lot of foxes but never have I heard such a cry. It was like we had a new born in the next room!!
Jonathan – Derbyshire
Just heard & seen two urban foxes screaming at each other!
Had the Tv on and it was loud enough to think some animal had been hurt in some way.
Went out to investigate & found one fox local on one side of a hedge – & circling a tree – then at that time noticed another fox the otherside of the hedge in the local park.
They like most urban foxes didnt seem too bothered by my presence but did eventually bolt off into the darkness.
Both looked to be ok in health and were not limping in anyway.
For the past 2/3 weeks nearly every night we hear what sounds like a small dog barking it turned out to be a fox.
It always seems to be alone.
What does this noise mean it’s not a scream or a cry it’s like a dog bark in sets of two if you know what I mean?
Regards
Chris
Hi Chris. Barking is also used in the breeding season. Whereas vixens will ‘scream’ to attract a mate, the males will often ‘bark’ back in reply.
Hi I live near the Barossa woods in Berkshire an we hear this screaming noise every night lately as it’s mating season for the foxes we are now use to it however it does wake you up still as it’s such an unnatural cry it makes you always feel that you need to investigate an try to help lol but please don’t interfere as when they are mating any human disturbance can end up with other male foxes re-trying there luck and inevitably this will lead to more Fox fights, more noise an of of course still no kip for anyone woken by it! It only lasts 20 mins ish unless it’s Studley Good fox so maybe 25 mins. But if you’ve never heard it before it can deal you out. It’s said they mate like dogs??? but I believe they are more like female cats on heat. There’s an urban Fox near our home who’s been around for 10 years or so an he’s often seen resting in a near by Garden with the owners cat an they’ve been seen following each other around at night. Very cool bute errors as hell when you witness it.
Sorry don’t know how to edit my dippy spelling mistake. The end of my comment should read ‘scary as hell when you first hear this noise close up’ as it sounds like an animal in distress and our natural instinct is to react by feeling sympathy and a willingness to help out. It’s actually a song which is singing to a potential mate but would never make the X factor lol.
about a year ago around 1 am my mom and my brother were letting the dog in and they heard this ear peircing scream. (we live on a farm so the holler echos the noise). they freaked out and brought the dog back in. the way they described it was ” it sounded like a woman or child being murdered ” which made me a bit uneasy. after talking about it we thought it could have been a something like a cougar which freaked us out even more. doing a little more research, we discovered it was a fox and that the holler bad the sound a little more frightening. ever since we’ve been hearing them constantly and it still makes me a little scared each time just because it’s so unexpected.
Freaks me out every time even though I know what it is now. 2:45am in manchester, UK. Shaken up from the initial shock of the noise.
Its 00:26 and about 15 minutes ago my sister and I heard a screaming sound from outside and alot of people have said foxes hang about near woods but outside our house is just an open field with 4 trees. Both my sister and I thought a child was being hurt but looked outside and there was the female red fox was very weird to hear a fox scream
I couldn’t sleep. Then, I heard the shrill screaming of what sounded like a dying dear, so I thought. Then I saw something run back and forth across the lawns. I thought that creatures of the night were coming to take the poor animal away. The night creature started screaming and it was then that I realized the shrill voice came from something no bigger than my dog. Had it been running closer to the house I’d have let fido out to great the fox. I’m kidding, my dog slept right on through. Thanks for the article. I enjoyed your insights.
S M Vain, currently located in Maryland US
12:31 and she just stopped screaming. She started at around 12:18. At first my heart started to Pound, they sound so much like a human letting out short round screams. I remembered hearing the red fox did this, so being from the suburbs of NJ and seeing them around my area often I calmed down figuring that it was a vixen. Now I just need to calm down my dog, he didn’t like it much. Very cool though.
Heard screaming and barking before from foxes but nothing like this week, thought it was a animal been hit by a car went out but nothing to see, then it happened three nights running and we saw the foxes out inthe road, very scary sound but now realise its quite normal. Swindon.Wilts.UK.
We’ve heard this for a few nights in the past month. Finally a neighbor confirmed that they saw a red fox. But we still run outside when we hear it to make sure that its not a small child being attacked. It sounds terrible! (and completely freaks out my kids)-I think they will feel better after I play them this recording. I don’t think I’ll be able to convince the dog to settle down though! Thanks for posting this.
Around 4:15am this past Easter weekend awoke to the red fox scream just outside my half open window in suburban Philadelphia. A few minutes later I heard the fox screaming further in the neighborhood twice more in separate intervals then it stopped. I think there might’ve been more than one vocalizing. The second scream sounded very distant, almost faint and the third time much closer.
Was awakened at 3 AM last night by a somewhat distressed wild animal call that just kept going. When I looked out a red fox was sitting in the middle of my backyard easily visible in the light of the moon. It didn’t look distressed but I am happy to now know it was just a mating call.
I just want to thank the foxes last night for screaming us all awake at 3:30am. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs Fox. You have a lot in common with FOX News.
A fox/ foxes was/were screaming in our front garden last night for a good 20 minutes. We often hear them but isn’t it unusual to hear screams for so long at this time of the year? It isn’t mating season (?) unless like the flowers they have got muddled! Kent. UK.
Last Saturday morning, around 7:30AM, I spotted a red fox on my patio. I live in NJ, and am surrounded by woods and farms (though I live in a purely residential section). I had my sliding door open, so got up to close it. The fox and I locked eyes and twice, it let out this scream at me, as if it was trying to tell me something. Then it ran off. My cat had been out earlier, but was safely inside. No idea if the fox’s visit was related to my cat, but it clearly spooked me.
Hi.
At 23.35 I heard this loud scream currently working as security I thought somebody had possibly injured them self close by, So got the torch out and went walking to see this fox run out in front of me down the path, To then start screaming again, 10 minutes later it stopped, Not something you want to here when patrolling but good to actually no what it was, Wolverhampton
The other night my dog and I were outside when she took off running like crazy. Then I heard this horrible shrieking and assumed she caught a rabbit, as they shriek when dying. 🙁 However, just a few moments ago, while sitting outside with my dog I heard this shrieking again but my girl is right next to me. I walked out to the front yard to see a red fox standing under the street light screaming. Awesome! I’ve heard these noises before and always thought the worse. Glad to know it’s a normal, happy, healthy sound from Mother Nature.
Bucks County, PA
Heard what sounded like a wounded animal outside our house in the bushes. My husband went out to investigate and saw another neighbor with a flashlight who warned him not to approach “the fox” as it ran into our wooded back yard. I thought there must be a reason for the screaming and sure enough found the answer on this site. Scary, but interesting.
i live on a small street in Manchester uk no where near any country side and me and my daughter were woken last night by a strange screaming noise outside where my daughter went 2 her bedroom window she 2 foxes that looked like they were mating as she closed the window the foxes walked up the street she was so surprised to learn we had foxes near where we live
1am Thornton Heath, Surrey
Heard the most terrifying scream, sounded like a woman crying out for help/distraughtly emotional. Rushed to my brother’s room and asked if he had a clue what it could be and if we should call the police! He’s the one who suggested it might be foxes & sure enough, google agrees!!
The first time I heard it i honestly thought someone was getting hurt or had been and was screaming in pain. Upon investigation sure enough it was a fox, have 4 of them in the garden flats. They scream every now and again, I guessed it was matting season. Live in SW London
Crazy freaky woke me up around 330am im pretty sure they was more than one fox. Something i never heard before scary at first until i saw the thing. Good night. Attleboro ,mass.
Northern New Jersey,
Well ,we now have a pack of foxes in the neighborhood .
Heard the ” screaming ” about a month ago…mating?
Again , last nite for 1/2 hour or more and saw them running around
Also have a litter of baby groundhogs in the yard
Hope they are safe!!!!
Last night at 4:00 a.m. My husband and I were woken up by blood chilling screaming. After listening to u-tube we confirmed it was a female fox. We live in rural area in Essex VT. We have lived here 8 years and that was the first time we have heard it.
At 1:45 I was awoken by the sound of screaming on my suburban street in Sidcup. I was at first worried for the foxes as one was found killed on a pathway a few years ago. I saw two foxes emerge from a neighbours car after putting on my glasses. I then saw what looked like fox 1 pin down fox 2. After fox 2 apparently struggling away, I thought the ‘feud’ was over. I then saw fox 1 scream at fox 2 until fox 2 was driven away under a nearby car. Fox 1 then stalked off. It’s May too!
Same awful shrieking as noted above. Scared me and a couple neighbors out of bed. I clapped my hands out the window and the sound moved much farther away. It’s a very eerie, unsettling noise. Scarborough, Maine
I live in a sw suburb of Chicago -Oak Lawn-that is adjacent to the city. My yard is heavily wooded but the area is semi-urban. I saw a red fox outside my living room during the day today. I have been hearing these midnight screams that I now know are from that fox. Recently I saw a coyote and they have been sited in downtown Chicago by Lake Michigan. There was even a bobcat killed in the city. It is so sad we are leaving these creatures with no place to roam. My golden retriever insists I accompany him to do his business at night.
He is as confused as I am about these new visitors.
Was woken up at 2:30 AM to red fox screams. Saw the fox cross the yard at 5:45 AM. Its been living in our yard for two years but seems more bold since our dog died. My cat is on alert having been chased by it one morning. She is now only allowed out during mid day when we are home.
We are in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Its screaming again got to go.
hi well —we had to call the cops –to make sure someone wasnt being killed , it sounded just horrible ——viscious screams over and over — and eventually we found out it was a fox –not a fisher cat or an owl. The fox has great timing –every night — starts screaming almost at the same time every night !! And like others have said –its scary and loud .
Just happened to me last night in western suburb of Cleveland, OH. It was around 1:00AM when the screams began. At first I didn’t know what it was, until I saw a small red fox walking through the backyard, screaming all the while. It circled around the house, went back into the woods, and just kept on screaming. It went on for a good 20 minutes.
I live Perth , Western Australia and in the past few years around the same time each year we have been hearing this noise. At first i actually thought it was someone being killed !! Now i am more used to it, yet still makes me jump out of my skin in the middle of the night !
We live in a suburban Street in Melbourne Australia. I was woken about 2:30 am, by awful screams. I went out the front door to see what the noise was, the fox saw me and started to go back down the street and stopped behind the lamppost, when I moved along the verandah it ran away. Everyone house has a garden but it is not bushy enough for foxes I would have thought.
When you live in the middle of student land in Leeds, and you here someone screaming over and over at half three in the morning, its just another typical night. So when you go to the window to shout shut up at the noise maker and see an urban fox walking down the road, with no sign of injury or distress, it’s certainly surprising.
Its horrible it sounds like their in pain its espeiceally frightening in the middle of the night but now i know what it is its not as scary.
An hour or so ago my family had bedded down in our vacation rental, a cabin in the woods, and we all frightened by a “women’s cry” right outside. Running all the horror movie senerios thru my head, I had to feign bravery for the kids sake. Started googling and found a recording of this red fox. Thank the Lord! That was super intense!
Seven Sisters Falls, Whiteshell Park, Eastern Manitoba, Canada. We have a large fox in the neighbourhood that has been checking out our pets at night. Last week a horrible screech had me running to the sun porch to see what was going on. I honestly thought something was ripping one of my cats to pieces. What I saw was the fox and my very passive male cat nose to nose on my neighbours sidewalk. I yelled but the fox only looked at me and maintained her position, then my little Yorkshire Terrier bolted out the door to chase her off and protect his feline buddy. The fox was not afraid and didn’t bolt until the dog got within feet of her, then he chased her into the woods. Last night I heard the screaming again, and noticed all four cats were in the house. Then the dog bolted out onto the road and I spotted the fox standing there. I then realized that it was her that was making the noise. She screamed as the dog ran toward her and continued the call as he chased her up the road and into the bush. Today I searched for fox sounds and found your website. When I played the audio recording, my dog went nuts. I had never heard a fox make a sound and had never been too concerned about their close proximity; I assumed that they were simply curious and had never sensed any threat from them. I am now quite concerned about the safety of my pets; especially the little dog. I fear that she may turn and attack when he’s chasing her off. I have noticed two young kits along the tree line across the road and suspect the screeching fox is their mother. Is her behaviour typical or is she in predator mode? Is this something that I should be reporting to our local conservation officer?
Hi Arlene,
You should have nothing to fear from the vixen. The sound she is making is her way of finding male foxes in her area. And just as with cats, the noises sound a lot worse to use than they actually are. Foxes are cunning and shy animals usually and although this individual is showing some confidence around your dog it’s probably because she has cubs. Ultimately she will always run from a dog, unless cornered with absolutely no escape.
I live in Shelton, CT (USA) and awoke 7/13/15 at 3am by a blood-curdling scream. My husband and I are heavy sleepers and we will never forget the sound. I had initially thought it was a type of night bird – perhaps an owl, but none of the sounds on-line came close. A neighbor heard the fox screaming a month ago or two but we didn’t hear it that time. Hard to believe a mammal could make such a horrifying sound.
It is 1.29am and I am out in my front garden smoking a cigarette. I heard a high pitch screeching sqwack and a low pitch screeching sqwack. At first I thought it was some sort of bird of prey but realised it was at ground level so I used the wonderful God of Google who led me to a YouTube video that showed the squaking noise that I heard which was infact a male and female fox. It is amazing to hear this but I live in a built up area and can understand how these beautiful animals can be considered as a nuisance to many in the British society. I have seen many foxes about here which is an urban area (not the foxes natural habitat) and think there must be a more humane way to deal with them rather than hunting with hounds and guns. To be honest, everything that lives in the natural world deserves the one gift given to all, which is the gift of life.
It is 5 am in the morning in Pascagoula, MS on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. I just walked outside onto the porch for my cup of coffee. I was startled to hear a high pitched screaming, startled I ran to get my phone – I dialed 911 and came outside when I saw a fox running across the grass a couple yards down. Just to look it up and found this article about mating! Thank goodness it is just live in the air:)
On Saturday 8th August 2015 My husband and I heard a loud, bloodcurdling scream, long, guttural and ending in a distinctive OWWWW! I got out of bed and looked out of my open windows but the screaming stopped and all seemed peaceful. Back in bed, snuggling into my pillows, the screaming began again and went on. I have heard this noise before and my reaction was one of pleasure that our wild fox population was back. A few years ago we fed and successfully treated adult and foxcubs for mange. There was much controversy in our urban neighbourhood with folk concerned about contagion. The older folk lived with and enjoyed the foxes visiting their gardens. The young incomers were concerned for their children and pets. For whatever reason we lost our local fox population. They are now back, the detractors have left and we are free to rejoice in their return!
Add me to the list:
At @11:45PM I heard a LOUD screaming noise–thought it was cats first (a nearby homeowner keeps a feral cat colony to control the rat population which is probably due to the seasonal seafood restaurant and local coffee/samdwich shops–with the support of the local Animal Control Officers– believe it or not!).
Then I thought maybe it was a Fisher (some erroneously call them Fisher Cats–but it wasn’t long or loud enough for a Fisher–I listened to a few tapings on YouTube). We have coyotes, but it wasn’t that either. I had hoped it was a turkey-eating coyote–the local turkeys are HORRIBLE…not a squirrel–not a raccoon (I have a posse who visit to tease my indoor cats–with pictures/movies of them pressing their raccoon faces right up into my windows/sliding glass doors AND s lately standing up and shuffling around!!)…not a skunk…not a Canada goose or duck..not a hawk–not the local Great Horned Owl or smaller Eastern Screech Owl “getting” something–I thought that covered it…
BUT THEN IT GOT CLOSER—and closer every 5-10 minutes–until I realized it was a little red fox. Really little. Like the size of my fattest cat (15 lbs?)…amazing the little guy could scream that loud for that long–it isn’t mating season (mid-September), but I guess he was just mad at something. 2 years ago I saw 2 of them actually standing up batting at each other with their front paws (looked like boxing!) in the middle of the road–too surprised to take a pic–but it was really funny looking! They broke apart and ran behind a neighbors hedges and took off in opposite directions.
And I don’t live in a super rural area–my backyard is an old overgrown small cranberry bog and a street over is a brackish river that leads to the ocean and a large pond–but I am quite near a major road too–AMAZING how such a diverse bunch of animals can colonize an area of only a few acres and make it their home–AND LIVE TOGETHER without too much trouble…
All in all the noises are sometimes annoying on one hand but really amazing and wonderful on the other!
JDoes anyone know what noise fox makes if it’s calling for help?
Last night we heard a fox scream. It woke me from a deep sleep. It seemed to go on for ages and it was almost like the Fox was outside our bedroom WI down. We live I Umbria, Italy in the countryside. We’ve heard it before I think k it was territorial. It woke up the dogs and they seemed very confused! Hope we don’t hear her again tonight it’s a really scary noise and chills you to the bone!
3am in Tw4 Greater London loud crying with a piercing scream woke me up I looked out of my bedroom window and sure enough sure a red small fox scamper away from my front garden. There is a large park nearby but no woods!
Little git woke me up at 3 am with it’s banshee catawaling in my garden. They poop all over my favourite things just to let me know they think it’s their territory. Discharged one of my kids party poppers into the dark as the anti social thing kept on. It didn’t like that at all!!! Sounds like a gun!! Haha. See ya, sleep interrupter ! Between them and the car scat, cats = water pistol , foxes = party popper . These are my top tips
Woken at 12.25am to the sound of what I can only imagine as a high I pitched asthmatic Allan Partridge repetitively going practicing his catchphrase, Ah Ha.
On coming round a little more and considering the sound I could hear the call was becoming more strained as whatever was making it grew tired. The calls became less frequent and quieter. I settled on it possibly being some animal that was in the throes of death. I guessed it might be a fox, perhaps one that had been hit by traffic.
Having typed in various tag words into Google I was led here which helped conclude that the animal was a red fox (likely a vixen) and that it was probably not dying, merely having a bit of pillow talk with its mate. Awww sweet.
Anyway, I managed to get back to sleep so all is well that ends well!
This took place in Duxford, Cambridge
So, same story as almost everyone else (although nowhere near as funny as Ben W.’s above), but with a bit of a twist: heard the screaming at 3:30am, but it was CLOSE to my house. Looked out my front window and could see a fox circling my neighbor’s car in the driveway screaming at whatever was underneath. Nothing answered back, but the fox kept circling and screaming. At this time of year (early April), could it have been screaming at a cub? The poor thing looked and sounded really distraught.
We have several dogs and we also foster dogs. Yesterday, potential adopters came to visit one of our fosters with their dog. We spent a lot of time in the back yard letting the two dogs meet. Then, everyone’s attention was diverted to foxes running across our back yard. It looked like 2 foxes (at least one adult as they went by so quickly) but what we more noticed was the baby that got stuck in between two fences. We were so sad for the baby fox. There was lots of screaming the night before and now also today after the baby was stuck. We saw an adult circle in front of the house, assuming it was looking for the baby. Two hours later, baby was still stuck, but not today. So we assumed baby was reunited with mom, and we kept our dogs in for quite a while yesterday so they could reunite. But now tonight, I hear the same screaming as I did last night. Is this really mating as some say above? And if so, how often do foxes mate if I see them with babies?
Hi Crissy, indeed the sound you are hearing is to do with mating. The vixen ‘screams’ to announce her presence to other male foxes. However there are plenty of other sounds that foxes make in communication so this may explain the noise you heard.
Every few nights around midnight I hear this noise coming from the woods in my front yard. We get lots of wild animals because we are surrounded by woods and also have a stream running through the woods. We see lots of deer and have had raccoons a few times. I hear this eerie screaming noise that sounds like 2 cats fighting except I only hear one animals vocals. I have an outdoor cat so the first few times I got worried and freaked out but then it continued to happen when she was safe inside. It really sounds like an animal screaming in pain. Finally I got curious because not to far away bobcats screaming have been heard as well so I checked and sure enough it sounds like a red fox. I’ve only seen a red fox once in our yard but I’m fairly certain that’s what I’m hearing. Its definitely a shocking noise!
About 4.30 this morning I was woken by the screaming of foxes. When I looked out the window there were about 5/6 foxes in the middle of the road some
Lying down, some sitting, some standing. The screaming went on for a few minutes before they dispersed. Never seen so many foxes together. I live in poole in Dorset.
I live in northern Minnesota and have heard this sound all summer long. I live in the middle of town with some wooded old railroad tracks that run behind my house. Not knowing what the noise was, I curiously looked it up and found out it was the red fox. And soon thereafter I have been seeing the fox come out of the woods throughout the day. She’s a gorgeous creature and doesn’t seem to bother any of my dogs (although my yard is fenced). We also have a bobcat, coyote, wolf, bear, and some deer that live back there. Somehow they all seem to get along because myself and all the neighbors continue to see them throughout the summer. It’s a wonderful sight to see these animals in the middle of town —- yet in a wooded area to live in.
it was 11:47 am and my family have heared this noise in the past but not me they said they fought a beast was roaming the sreets[i laughed]i said was it screaming like a banchi they said yes [i laughed so hard i cried this time]i said it was the vixens scream even tho males use it too[and tonight i heared it at 11:47 am]it was the most amazing sound i have ever heared]i hope i hear it again
Ridiculous screaming in Cutty Sark, Greenwich. Look out the window and it’s a fox fest
Wow, didnt think sooo many people dealt with screaming foxes, lol. Im currently waiting for the bus on my way home from work. The time is 7:56pm, but about 15 mins ago, while walking through this park behind what looks like a high school (theres plenty of wildlife back there…foxes, little snakes, turtles, ducks, geese, dragonflies, etc) I hear this loud screaming, it sounded like a little girl crying. I continued walking the path and it got louder, suddenly I see what looked like a fox run into the brush. As I got closer, it stopped but started again after I walked past. I thought it was hurt, so I walked back to look and all I could see was the brush moving. I didnt know what to do so I walked away in regret and felt terrible. Sooo glad to know nothing was wrong and it was simply a mating call. Thanks Russ 🙂
I woke up to this strange noise exactly 4:44 am and was slightly sure it was something to do with foxes so I got on the internet and found this. Thanks guys! I got to watch that fox scream for about 1 minute but could it be that these foxes be screaming like this for like 1h or so?
Gosh well it’s 28th Nov 2016 @ 3-13 am just been woken by a Fox scream, we have foxes in the allotments. It’s a grown up Fox from one of the cubs born locally. Do wish it was a day thing. Although the screaming is kinda annoying. It’s good to know it’s still safe and we’ll.
Currently in Glasgow G33 & have a very petite focus currently screaming around my back garden. It’s 03:56 & this has been going on for 10 minutes. I’ve seen the little foxes around before but unsure if it’s the same one else.
Hi,
It is broad daylight outside and a red fox is screaming in the back yard. I know they scream at night, but what could be causing it to scream now? I’m not in a heavily wooded area. Live in upstate New York, USA.
While taking my dogs out before bed, I heard what I thought was a woman screaming and that was followed by a lot of barking dogs. The screams continued and I strained to listen more closely. I noticed something at the end of the scream that identified it as coming from an animal rather than a human. When I got back into the house, I began searching “what animal screams like a human” found videos & listened- then I knew it was a red fox. I took it a step further and searched “why do red foxes scream” which led me here! Interesting article & comments. I’m in Alabama, I’m 54 years old and have never heard this before!!!
So relieved to discover the screaming sound was foxes attempting to mate. It’s very eerie in this Victorian Street in Brixton Hill. A neighbour began clapping loudly at the vixen and she ran into a back garden!!! End of drama for one night.
Struggling to sleep about an hour ago and heard what I thought was a cat screaching in pain so after checking my cat is ok I go outside to see if it’s an animal in need nothing there so came in and 30 mins later sound returned so I go back out and find 2 foxes so came on here to find out if I should be concerned by it glad to know it wasn’t an animal in trouble now to calm my cat and wind my girlfriend up about sleeping through it.
I live in a condo next to a swampy wooded area in Yardley, PA and have been hearing this wheezing/screeching scream for years. I’ve always assumed it was a possum or raccoon or my wife or something like that. Finally decided to do some googling and figured out it is a red fox scream! The scream is identical to the ones on YouTube. I see the fox about once a month or so (usually walking the dog very late at night), never would have thought it was that little guy or gal all along!
Bristol, Wisconsin. 3:30am June 8, 2018.
For the first time in 20 years of living in my house, I have 8 foxes under my deck : mother, father and 6 kits. I live on a small lake close to woods but in a heavily populated subdivision. Lots of activity in the summer with boats and jet skis. I have heard the barks before but tonight the screaming woke me. It continued for 15 min. In between the screams I heard growls and barks. I first spotted the family in early April all outside during the day playing. The kits were balls of fur and played like puppies. They have been fun to watch, but I’ve also had to pick up various discarded animal parts. Several weeks ago a neighbor’s dog (lab mix) spotted the mother out and wanted to play. They ran around in circles, the dog’s tail wagging and the fox just trying to get away! Pretty amusing! The Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources told me they will probably leave by the end of summer. I’m hoping they will find another place to live next year as I would like to plant veggies in my raised beds where the little ones have had fun digging!
2:20am, Watford England.
Woke up to the sound of rustling infront of my ground floor bedroom window, thinking there was a burglar outside. After braving a peak out of the window I saw that it was just a fox dragging a rubbish bag around. I watched it in awe for a while, having never seen a fox so close before.
It disappeared from sight a few minutes later and just ask I settled back into bed it began screaming! It sounded like a mixture of a cat fight and a woman screaming, very unnerving. I’m so glad I’d seen the fox beforehand or I probably would have called the police if the screaming noise had woke me up!
Just woke up to a fox screaming (what a sound)! I live in the countryside so harnessed and leashed the dogs to go check my chickens. All were sound asleep. Hope the fox does not come calling tonight. From County Durham, England.
I appreciate the article and all of the comments. We know that we have red foxes near us in Greer, SC. We have seen the pups playing near drainage ditches, and also playing with cats. But the sounds are incredible as everyone has noticed. I had to double check with my neighbor this morning, and she confirmed it is the fox. Sounds like an murder victim in the woods.
In the night I heard a baby fox that was separated from its mother scream outside my window, I was really worried but my mom didn’t let me go out cuz it was night. I feel bad for the poor fox. Wish I could do something to help it. And also why are you all so afraid of foxes??????? They’re cute.
Adelaide, South Australia
At around 10-11pm on two nights within a week I woke up to hear something I had never heard before, a screaming sound which sounded like it was coming from our street and very close to our house, it sounded like it moved away into the forest behind our house. It sounded like a woman screaming and the screams were very consistently timed and sounded the same each time. Caused neighboring dogs to bark a lot and a few neighbors came down their driveways to see what was happening. After searching on Google for what might be the cause of the screaming, I came across an audio sample of a red fox which sounded very similar to what I had previously heard.