Whispers, Rustles and Screams in the Night
As paranormal investigators we often get calls from people who hear sounds of whispering, the rustling of skirts, an invisible baby crying or the blood curdling scream of a woman at night. One explanation that is often overlooked is that even in the city you can be “haunted” by the local wildlife. While this is most common in rural areas, housing development and urban expansion has destroyed the natural habitat of much of our wildlife, causing animals to seek homes in the city. I have personally witnessed a bald eagle, hawks, falcons, foxes, raccoons, rabbits, snakes and other wildlife in the cities of Detroit and Dearborn alone. With the lack of their traditional wooded habitat, they will often find a nice crawlspace under a house, chimney, and spaces between walls, a basement or attic to make their homes.
A Crying Baby – If a dog, cat or other mammal finds a home in your basement, crawlspace or within your walls, the mewling of its litter of young can sound like the crying of an infant. The scream of a young rabbit in distress or a bullfrog can also be easily mistaken for a crying infant. Many other birds and mammals can make similar sounds.Some examples:
Crying young rabbit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ru-ZXIpoTM&feature=related
Crying frog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSvkc9ZT17w&feature=related
Screaming – There are many birds, insects and mammals that can make noises sounding like a human scream. Rabbits, Foxes, Owls, other non human creatures can make sounds so similar to the scream of a woman or deamon it can send chills down your spine and have you dialing 911. If you are hearing screaming, please listen to some of the following examples to compare them and see if these examples of wildlife may be your culprits.
Screaming Fox:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cPg7_nyoBc
Barn owl screeching at night:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58_8S5-tkoU
Screaming Rabbit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ru-ZXIpoTM&feature=related
Red tailed hawk screaming:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33DWqRyAAUw
Whispers, Moans and Rustling – Raccoons are one of many species that make sounds similar to non-verbal human vocalizations, if only heard faintly from your walls; it could easily be mistaken for whispering, giggling, or moaning. Several different types of frogs and toads can make very human like grunting and moaning sounds. If they are in an area of your basement, crawlspace or drainpipe that sounds can echo and magnify you may be able to hear them throughout your house. The rustling of birds, bats or rodents in your chimney or attic or walls can often sound like whispering or the rustling of skirts. A metal chimney shaft can have an amplifying effect causing the sound to travel through your home.
If you are hearing whispering or rustling sounds in your home, please check your chimneys, attics, crawlspaces and any access panels to openings to wall areas for any of the following:Animal tracks, scratches, animal or bird feces/droppings, feathers/fur, nests, any traces of disturbances in dust or insulation.
Just because you do not see an animal when you check does not mean you do not get an occasional visitor or have houseguests that you cannot see.