Born August 13, 2019, Melisandre is one of only 25 aye-ayes living in the United States. Aye-ayes are nocturnal lemurs; hence little “Mel” is filmed in red light only. She’s laying on a bed of mimosa while DLC photographer David Haring takes pictures. (Apologies for my shaky hands… No tripods, monopods, etc. allowed at the DLC!) Aye-ayes are endangered on their native island of Madagascar, where logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, and hunting are suspected to have cut their numbers in half in recent decades. Some villagers in Madagascar believe these lemurs are evil omens and can curse a person by pointing their middle fingers at them; hence many aye-ayes are killed on sight. In reality, says DLC curator Cathy Williams, the aye-aye is one of the gentlest lemur species. “They’re not at all aggressive, they’re extremely curious and energetic and they’re very intelligent — they learn very quickly.” Read more at http://lemur.duke.edu/melisandre. Welcome to the world, little Mel! We’re so happy you’re here!
