Don't be alarmed; that noise you're hearing in the dead of night isn't a screaming lady.

But that's exactly how the sound is described by folks being woken up by the blood-curdling screams of this otherwise cute little woodland animal.  The Red fox, native to this area, has a distinct Vixen's Scream, as it's called, that sounds a lot like a woman screaming. If you've heard it, you likely described the sound as "someone getting murdered".

However, Freetown Animal Control Officer Lisa Podieosky says when folks call concerned about the screams, she encourages them to Google both the Red Fox's scream (above) and the Fisher scream (below) and see if either of the noises is what they were hearing.

"More people are reporting that they are hearing these noises for the first time despite living in the area for many years. As we go into the mating season, you are going to hear lots of activity coming from any wooded area."

ACO Podieosky says that if you truly feel the noise is that of a fisher (cat) you'll want to be a bit more aware of letting your pets go outside unattended. "Fisher (cats) are brave and will go after cats and small dogs. Fox are less brave and mostly go after rabbits, mice and other small animals."

 

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