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Original poster

Spooky sounds in garden at night- which animal? Also now a "voice"

63 replies

daughterof · 21/01/2026 18:04

For a while I have been hearing unsettling animal noises at night in my back garden, it's hard to describe them but I haven't been able to identify them online by listening to recordings of British wildlife. We have hedgehogs visit sometimes and there are loads of cats....

I haven't been too fussed but last night in addition to the noises, there was a "voice" on and off over and hour or so sounding like it was saying "hello" really clearly but not quite saying the word properly. It came from outside our house and didn't sound human.

Rational me really hopes for an explanation as DH works away more than he is home and its just me and DC here.

Woo me is adding that according to maps, a ley line passes through the house 10 doors down from us and DD1 had experiences when she was a toddler here which she now doesn't remember.

OP posts:
Kingdomofsleep · 21/01/2026 18:22

Just reread the op and chuckled at this:

Woo me is adding that according to maps, a ley line passes through the house 10 doors down from us and DD1 had experiences when she was a toddler here which she now doesn't remember.

Op, most people don't remember stuff that happened when they were toddlers!

Nincompoo · 21/01/2026 18:20

Foxes do their mating in January so they’re shouting out hoping for a liaison. It is a strange noise. muntjac also made a strange noise.

LovesLabradors · 21/01/2026 18:16

I heard some really scary noises in the garden the other night, really other-worldly. I got my adult son to go check it out - but we both guessed "fox" - really freaky though.
Cats can make really strange noises too - one round here sounds exactly like a crying baby.

Kingdomofsleep · 21/01/2026 18:15

It'll be foxes I bet. Foxes make such alarming sounds because it's a similar pitch to a human woman or child. So it sounds like a woman/child yelling in pain for a moment before you realise what it is. We have a family of them on our road and they're always yelling.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 21/01/2026 18:15

Has anyone around you got a Siamese or similar breed of cat? They can sound almost human when they're yowling to be let in, or in heat. Foxes sound like human screams, badgers and hedgehogs make unholy noises when they're snuffling about.

I doubt very much it's anything paranormal, more likely you are misunderstanding what you are hearing because you are suspecting something supernatural.

WMW · 21/01/2026 18:13

Treacletoots · 21/01/2026 18:10

I'd be putting the house on the market right now.

Hopefully you don't have to notify about leylines in the searches.

WinnerWinnerChickenDinnner · 21/01/2026 18:12

One of our cats used to say/meow hello. It would be creepy if you heard it in your garden.

Mydahliasareshit · 21/01/2026 18:12

Another vote for foxes and corvids here. Unnatural sounds sometimes.
Don't worry OP 🤗

OnlyTomSaidThat · 21/01/2026 18:10

Was also gonna say cat for the hello. My neighbours cat yowls hello every time he wants in.

Treacletoots · 21/01/2026 18:10

I'd be putting the house on the market right now.

AnchorWHAT · 21/01/2026 18:09

The cats in our neighborhood sound very human like at times

Freetobe3 · 21/01/2026 18:08

The hello noise could be a cat (my cats meow sounds very much like that!)

Also some types of corvids, like crows and ravens can mimic human speech as well as other weird sounds that are very uncanny and might explain the other sounds you've heard. I can 100% say there isn't a ghost in your garden saying hello over and over though!

Dolamroth · 21/01/2026 18:07

Probably foxes, they sound a bit creepy sometimes when calling to each or fighting.