Jurassic Park Raptors

Q: How did they create the raptor sounds in “Jurassic Park”?

The Wild Secret Behind Jurassic Park’s Velociraptor Screeches

When Jurassic Park hit theatres in 1993, audiences were terrified by the bloodcurdling screeches of its velociraptors. Those sounds became iconic, helping cement the raptors as some of cinema’s most frightening creatures. But here’s the twist — their calls weren’t taken from dinosaurs at all.

The film’s sound designers actually built the raptor roars from an unlikely mix of animal recordings. The most famous layer? The noises of tortoises mating. Add in the heavy breathing of horses and squeaks from dolphins, and you’ve got Hollywood’s version of a prehistoric predator.

It’s a perfect example of movie sound design magic: combining everyday (and sometimes hilarious) sources to create something unforgettable on screen. Next time you rewatch Jurassic Park, you may never hear those raptors the same way again.