VIDEO: Zoo has an interesting animal to look at
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published July 17, 2008 at 3:20 p.m.
Photo by Courtesy Denver Zoo
Aye-aye at the Denver Zoo
Aye-aye ay-yi-yi!
A very rare animal with the body of a monkey, the tail of a squirrel and a rodent-like face has arrived at the Denver Zoo.
In fact, the Denver Zoo obtained two of the rare, mysterious aye-ayes, and zookeepers hope that someday they'll mate and parent aye-ayes for future generations of zoo visitors.
The unusual primates hail from Madagascar, where they are endangered. There are only about two dozen aye-ayes in North American zoos.
Some people in Madagascar believe aye-ayes are evil omens and that when one is spotted it is a forewarning that a villager will soon die, says Denver Zoo spokeswoman Amy Bowie. They believe that the only way to prevent the human death is to kill the aye-aye.
How unusual are aye-ayes? So much so that they are the only species in their class, Bowie said.
They are the world's largest nocturnal primates, weighing about six pounds, and have very large eyes.
Their middle fingers are three times longer than their other fingers, but they haven't been known to make rude gestures.
Their long fingers are perfectly suited for pulling insects out of holes in trees.
The breeding pair — Salem the female and Ozony the male are both 7 — came from the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina.
They're adjusting well to their new surroundings, Bowie said.
Ozony's father, Mephistopheles, was the first aye-aye at the Denver Zoo — a brief, very popular visitor to the Denver zoo a decade ago.
To get ready for the arrival of Ozony and Salem, Denver zoo staffers broke down some walls at the nocturnal habitat to make one roomy space for the aye-ayes.
The World Conservation Union classifies ayes-ayes as endangered because of illegal hunting and habitat loss.
The Denver Zoo participates in 206 species survival plans, including, now, the aye-aye.
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July 17, 2008
3:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
demmud writes:
It looks a little like W.
July 17, 2008
3:33 p.m.
Suggest removal
RealifeTauren writes:
Great, another wild animal to cause havoc and mayhem in Colorado. I sure hope they don't bite a keeper, or escape and break into an electronics store, or even roam around the plains looking like a giant dog.
July 17, 2008
3:39 p.m.
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SickNTired writes:
"Their long fingers are perfectly suited for pulling insects out of holes in trees."
Bring em to the DNC!
July 17, 2008
3:44 p.m.
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Squatch writes:
Damn and people tell me im ugly!
July 17, 2008
3:45 p.m.
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Bagel writes:
I remember seeing an animal planet special on those things quite a few years ago. I was creeped out seeing it on TV, now I definitely have to go see one in person.
July 17, 2008
3:46 p.m.
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JluvDC writes:
That is a neat looking creature! I'll have to take my boys to see it, I think they'd like him!
July 17, 2008
3:50 p.m.
Mr_Hyde writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
July 17, 2008
4:01 p.m.
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RealifeTauren writes:
Seriously, if you want to have nightmares tonight, do a google search for Aye Aye. Remember Michael Jackson's eyes in the "Thriller" video?
July 17, 2008
4:41 p.m.
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McGowdog writes:
That's terrible! They shouldn't dog my ex-mother-in-law like that.
They have feelings too, ya know.
July 17, 2008
4:49 p.m.
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Buckwheat writes:
Its' the new attraction to draw in the homeless during the DNC.
Their giving away tickets, a bottle of Night Train and a pac of Luckys.
July 17, 2008
6 p.m.
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Uno writes:
Looks like the average liberal...
July 17, 2008
6:05 p.m.
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newshound writes:
You'd think that RMN could get a clearer picture....This animal is FUBAR
July 17, 2008
6:45 p.m.
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Chadley25 writes:
Wow, could the zoo have provided the Rocky with a picture with an even SMALLER file size? Once enlarged, both photos are a pixelated mess. Guess their budget doesn't have room for anything better than a 1994 VGA pocket camera.
July 17, 2008
6:57 p.m.
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Battlehoss writes:
No demmud, it looks like cutler right before he get mowed down by a crazed linebaker!
July 17, 2008
10:54 p.m.
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nonayerbsns writes:
Wow, all kidding aside, it really DOES look like Dubya. Poor thing. (the animal, not the Dummy)
July 18, 2008
8:05 a.m.
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cooperjtd writes:
and yet again people posting comments stretch and find somehow to turn a story political. It must be a gift, truly.
July 18, 2008
9:03 a.m.
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tjpatriot writes:
Great, now they're importing Obama voters.
July 18, 2008
2:34 p.m.
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dcolon47 writes:
You Obama haters are cruel, but funny