Happy to celebrate this year’s Endangered Species Day by sharing the exciting and timely win of my Sound of the Year Awards Highly Commended submission in the Disappearing Sound-Sound worth saving Category (Tree Hyrax Call in Mt. Kenya).

The Eastern Tree Hyraxes are medium-sized solitary mammals living in the canopies of tropical forests. They communicate with each other via loud, repetitive vocal calls. They are shy and only move at night, to forage for food or look for mates. In 2015, the IUCN designated the Eastern Tree Hyrax as Near Threatened. Their sounds are some of the loudest and creepiest of all, especially when they echo through the night. They’re so spooky that upon arrival at some of the hotels in Mt. Kenya, guests are notified of strange noises and calls that may be heard at night. They are assured that the hotel they have checked into is not haunted. Guests exchange bewildered looks, shrug, and immediately forget the warning as soon as they settle into their rooms.

Then it begins. The deafening loud shrieks of the Tree hyraxes invade the night. As the night unfolds, so do the calls, echoing throughout the forest. They eventually quiet down, and then rise once more in the wee hours of the morning. These are my favorite times of the day. While the world slumbers, I listen to the haunting shrieks of the Tree Hyrax, a unique and captivating melody that unfolds in the stillness of the night!

Due to the recent forest fires and logging that have ravaged Mt. Kenya Forest, the loud, haunting calls of the Tree Hyraxes in our forests may become a sound of the past. The Sound of the year Awards celebrates sound in all its forms and from all corners of the world. In the Disappearing Sounds category, participants submitted sounds that are worth saving. But how do you save a sound? By saving wildlife and their habitats! Enjoy the sound of the Tree Hyrax, a sound worth saving in Mt Kenya. Happy Endangered Species Day.

Listen to the sounds of the Tree Hyrax!