Who can horrify with its giggle or make you nervous with its howl?

Lions: “King” of the beasts and rightly known for their roars which can roll across the grasslands for up to 8 km. However, many roaring lions sound extremely hoarse indeed and some (along with their cousins) end the roar with a sound like wood being sawed. Automobile and motorcycle manufacturers have long tried imitating the low rumbling growl and snarl of an angry carnivore (lion, leopard, tiger), in their vehicles’ exhaust systems, which can make anyone’s tummy rumble.

Tigers: Apart from their impressive roar, the tigers’ somewhat lonely ‘aaoom-aaaoom’ call echoing up from the jungle vastness at night is hauntingly evocative and makes you hope it will meet a deserving partner quickly.

Leopards: The enraged hissing snarl of a cornered leopard clearly indicates no mercy if the beast can get its claws and jaws into you. Normally you neither see nor hear the beast – perhaps because so many leopards are migrating to the noisy city suburbs now and know it’s sensible to stay silent.

Cheetahs: Due to the lack of proper vocal equipment as lions, tigers and leopards have in order to roar, cheetahs can only make somewhat friendly squeals and bird-like chirps except when a warning yarring snarl is called for.

Wild Dogs: For all their merciless reputation they have almost friendly-sounding whistles and clicks, which they emit while chasing prey as a team to keep in touch and coordinate the chase.

Wolves: Fierce and handsome beasts, they do look somewhat forlorn when they sit on their haunches, raise their muzzle skywards and let loose their long, yodelling howls as if they were the only animals left alive on earth. The howls can easily give you a healthy dose of goose-bumps!

Hyenas: Their terrifying liquid giggles and squeals indicate clearly that they have it in for their victims, and match perfectly with their cringing, wheedling side-on approach. Heads down, shoulders drooping they dart and slither, ingratiatingly apparently enjoying the fate of the prey they have surrounded and trapped. Theirs is one giggle that horrifies and is not infectious.

Bears: Angry, berserk bears just emit raucous, crazed roars – not the most intelligent sound you can hear from an animal that unfortunately is intelligent enough to be taught how to do a ballet in a tutu.

Wild Hog/Pigs: Perfectly matched in shape and size for their environment and the sounds they emit: they grunt and snort deliciously as they root about in the muck snuffling up tubers with zero table manners. But can squeal like a soprano having her throat slit in slow motion when in the grip of any of the carnivores.

Elephants: For all their bulk and dignified presence elephants sound awfully petulant when they throw a tantrum and trumpet in frustration or anger. But dignity is restored by their deep bass belly rumbles which can make your own tummy rumble uneasily, and which transmit through the ground and travel over grassland and forest to be picked up by the feet and ears of other herds, miles away.

Buffalos: Will snort and bellow belligerently when confronted by predators, but once brought down emit pathetic and desperate moans for help: Which, are often heeded and followed by the impressive thunder of hooves of the backup cavalry.

Deer (most species): Being prey, it makes more sense for them to keep silent – and listen for predators on the prowl. But when they do pick up a threat, they will indeed, emit a bark (the sambar goes, ‘dhonk’!) or sharp cry of warning and stomp their feet hard before fleeing. While in the rut, macho stags emit demented roars/bellows unbecoming of their lordly profiles.

Horses: Their whinnying hysterical neighs are perfect for animals that are so border-line close to having panic attacks and bolting every second of the day, but don’t quite square up with their noble profiles. However, when they flee en masse (or are racing), their drumming hooves provide marvellous percussion to their wave-like motion.

Donkeys: Their long-drawn lugubrious bray can make you want to laugh and cry at the same time, besides startling you considerably until you home into the source of the sound and laugh some more.

Eagles: These lords of the sky – and other raptors – have extraordinarily inappropriate high-pitched squealing calls: I once mistook the call of a Pallass’ Fishing Eagle for a puppy having its bottom smacked!

Crows: Their hoarse caws go perfectly with their raucous mob mentality. But crow couples can chortle sweet-nothings to each other too…

Mynas: They can sound and look as civilized as any sophisticated gathering of genteel intellects debating a delicate point on fine art on the BBC, or equally sound and look as rowdy as a bunch of politicians in full flow in an unruly democracy.

Jungle Babblers: Their dishevelled khaki get-up matches perfectly with the cacophony they so love to produce while searching your premises – and that can still make you laugh.

Parakeets: Loquacious and colourful as a collection of fisherwomen with a joie de vivre their squawking can be ear-piercing and goes well with their earnest bulging eyes and domed foreheads: Will maintain strict radio silence while raiding a mango or guava orchard.

Sperm Whales: The loudest animals in the world; the recordings of their clicking I’ve heard sounds like an old rusty clock being wound up but apparently is powerful enough (at 236 decibels) to blow your eardrums out if you get too close.