Aye-aye Happy Halloween

This interesting creature is known as an Aye-aye and is considered the largest nocturnal primate in the world. He lives in Madagascar and has a middle finger with a razor-like blade attached for digging out insects from the bark of trees. But his most notorious claim to fame is his scary looks which have doomed him to near extinction.

Aye-ayes have been nearly wiped from the planet for several reasons. One, they’re considered evil by local cultures, so they often kill them for that simple reason. Deforestation is another along with local farmers killing them to protect crops, even though there’s no proof they eat traditional crops. In other words, their demise is directly related to a complete lack of education.

My time in the wilds of Madagascar observing these creatures has always been a thrill. You can learn more about them and help protect these animals by visiting the Lemur Conservation Foundation.