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Wild Animals/strange noise in wilderness

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Expert: Jonathan Wright - 7/8/2009


Question
I was camping in the Pisgah Forest near Grandfather Mountain recently when I was woken by a strange noise.  There was an owl hooting nearby and my dog went to investigate.  About 100 yards away from the campsite the dog barked twice and an animal, presumably, mimicked him closely.  I heard the dog go closer and the wild animal erupted with a series of guttural noises that were reminiscent of a gorilla grunting.  The sound was low pitched and was like nothing I'd heard before.  I can't say it sounded like a cat or a fox but perhaps these animals make unusual noises when protecting offspring.  Any links or suggestions to what it could possibly be would be great.  Thanks for the site-it's fantastic!

Answer
Dear Eric

Thank you for your question. I also wish to thank the authors of the websites I used.

http://www.mammalsociety.org/statelists/ncmammals.html is a list of mammals from North Carolina. I have tried to determine the ones that are most likely to produce low-pitched grunting sounds.

http://www.mammalsociety.org/statelists/ncmammals.html says the American black bear makes grunting sounds, especially when a mother protects her cubs.

http://www.texasboars.com/hunting/calling.html says that wild boars also make grunting sounds. http://www.deerhunting.ws/vocalization.htm says that white-tailed deer do the same.

I think these three mammals include the one you heard, but I haven't got enough information to say which one it was. http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mammal+pisgah++&hl=en&safe=active&sa=2 indicate that deer and bears live in Pisgah, while other sites indicate that boars are common in North Carolina.

All the best

Jonathan

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Jonathan Wright

Expertise

I can answer questions about wild mammals and other animals, as well as extinct animals and zoos. I am not an expert about every animal species. I can look up information from books and the internet, but can't verify if all the information is true. Please don't ask questions about: 1. Pets. I am not a vet. Please contact a vet if your pet is ill. You may need to spend some money if you want your pet to live. Don't get a pet if you don't know how to look after it and if you can't provide it with the space, food and possible companions that will help it live a healthy life. Don't take animals from the wild, unless they are ill and/or injured and you can protect them until a wildlife charity can help. It is cruel to take animals from their parents, especially if the parents will look for the babies, while putting their other babies at risk. You may be breaking the law by keeping wild animals or you may need a licence to look after some species. Please check with a local wildlife group. 2. Eggs: Please don't remove eggs from nests. The mother birds provide the right temperature for the eggs and won't sit on them if the temperature is warm enough for them to develop naturally. It is illegal to remove eggs of some species and, unless you have an incubator or a broody hen, the egg may not develop. If you are allowed to touch the eggs, you can candle them to see if they are fertile. If theys aren't fertile, they won't hatch. 3. Fights: Please don't ask about fights between different animals. These questions assume that individuals of two species fight each time they meet and that one species will always be victorious over another. This is untrue. There are cases where a live mouse has been fed to a venomous snake, bitten the snake leading to the snake's demise. 4: Diseases: Please ask doctors or other medical experts about diseases that you may catch from animals. I can't advise on how to deal with viruses, bacteria etc.

Experience

I have a zoology degree and have been interested in animals since I was two. I am a zoo volunteer at London Zoo. I have appeared on a BBC Radio Quiz, 'Wildbrain'.

Organizations
WWF. ZSL. Natural History Museum. RSPB. London Bat Group.

Publications
Newsletters of London Zoo volunteers and the London Bat Group

Education/Credentials
BSC degree in Zoology. 'A' level in Zoology. 'O' Level in Biology.

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