Verreaux's Sifaka (Paris Vicennes Zoo) Gentle grey lemur (Chester Zoo) Black lemur (Prague Zoo) Black and white ruffed lemur and ring-tailed lemur (South Lakes Animal Park) all by Susan Humphreys, Collared lemur (Dudley Zoo), mouse lemur (unknown) red-bellied lemur (Woburn) and red fronted lemur (Woburn) by Susan Humphreys. Female black lemur at Prague Zoo Photo by Susan Humphreys Red ruffed lemur at South Lakes Animal Park Photo by Susan Humphreys

The Aye-aye 

Aye-aye pictures courtesy of David Haring Photography of Duke Lemur Center North Carolina

You can also see the Aye-aye at Edinburgh Zoo, London Zoo and West Midland Safari Park Bristol Zoo and Jersey Zoo.

Some Malagasy believe the Aye-aye is bad luck and can even cause death. In fact it is the Aye-aye itself that is at most risk, it is highly endangered due to loss of habitat. There was once a giant Aye-aye, but it became extinct, conservationists are working hard to make sure the same does not happen to the remaining species.
Aye-ayes are very strange looking and like to make nest in trees. They are nocturnal and at night when they eat they use their very long middle finger to poke tasty grubs out of branches.
Bristol Zoo explains: "Once thought to be extinct in its native home of Madagascar, the aye aye is classified as endangered under the IUCN Red List. These highly distinctive creatures, once thought to be a rodent, are recognised by their slightly unkempt appearance - staring yellowish eyes, huge triangular ears, large, squirrel-like front teeth and a long slender middle finger which it uses to winkle out wood-boring larvae hidden in trees.Under threat from widespread deforestation in Madagascar, this species of lemur has also been persecuted because of its unusual appearance. In some regions local people believe they are ill omens and kill them on sight. To others, these animals are viewed as pests due to their penchant for plantation crops such as coconuts and lychees.
But what if Aye-aye fingers had magical powers?
  A baby Aye-aye, called Raz, was born at Bristol Zoo Gardens on November 23rd 2007 (click on Madagascar News for details.)


Greater Vasa Parrot photographs (left and right) taken at Chester Zoo by Susan Humphreys, centre photo the Female Vasa Parrot loses nearly all her head and facial feathers during breeding season. The parrots have now moved to a new home.

Meet Polly and Esther
You may be surprised to know that these birds are parrots! They do not have bright coloured feathers like macaws or Amazonian ones, their feathers are dark olive, in fact a rude pirate might say they look like pigeons!. These are greater vasa parrots, there is also a breed known as the lesser vasa. The female parrot loses her head and facial pictures during the breeding season so she suddenly looks like she has a yellow head. The Vasa is also considered to be the most ancient and primative parrots but they are also extremely smart, very agile both walking and in flight.
Vasa parrots live on the island of Madagascar. These parrots make lots of interesting noises and like to sing, and apparantly some kept as pets can talk!

Meet the Fossa

 
Fossa photograph taken at Lakeland Wildlife Zoo by Susan Humphreys

This is Madagascar's largest carnivore, the fossa, a civet with a remarkably long tail and is actually a kind of civet.
You can see fossas at Newquay Zoo, Africa Alive (Suffolk) and Lakeland Wildlife Zoo.
A baby fossa, Geoff (named in memory of a zoo keeper) was born in July 2007 at Newquay Zoo (for more click on Madagascan News.)

The island is also home to half the world's chameleons, including the tiny brookesia , as tiny as a fingernail. They change colour - not to blend in - but to show their emotions, and for mating or defence.
Madagascar is also home to lots of creepy crawlies including poisonous scorpions, stick insects and giant cockroaches as well as snakes.  

    
Parson's Chameleon (Lakeland Wildlife Oasis) and Meller's Chameleon (Bristol Zoo),  Madagascan stick insect (Chester Zoo) and Madagascan Hissing Cockroach (Dudley Zoo), Giant African Land Snail (Tropical Butterfly House), Madagascan Tree Boa (Chester Zoo), Dumeril's Boas (Tropical Butterfly House)  Madagascar Day Gecko baby with eaten tail - left- and parent (Manchester Museum) photographs taken at by Susan Humphreys

You can see Madagascan chameleons at Lakeland Wildlife Oasis, Chester Zoo and Bristol Zoo.
You can see Giant Hissing Madagascar cockroaches at Bristol Zoo, Chester Zoo, Blackpool Zoo, Africa Alive (Suffolk), Dudley Zoo, Jersey Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo,  Lakeland Wildlife Oasis and Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife and Falconry Centre (North Anston).
You can see the Madagascan Tree Boa in the Tropical Realm at Chester Zoo. You can see Dumeril's Boa at Tropical Butterfly House.
You can see the Golden Mantella Frog, Sambava Tomato Frog and Marbled Rain Frog at Jersey Zoo. You can see the Golden Mantella Frog, Yellow-headed Day Gecko, Standing's Day Gecko and Madagascan Tree Boa at Bristol Zoo.
You can see Giant Hissing Cockroaches, Spiny-tailed Iguana in the Discovery Centre at Whipsnade Zoo. You can see the Madagascan Stick Insect at Chester Zoo. You can see the Madagascan Day Gecko, Yellow-headed Gecko, Tomato Frog and Golden Mantella Frog in the Vivarium at Manchester Museum. You can see Apple Snails at Whipsnade Zoo in the Discovery Centre.

 
     

 

   
   

Giant tortoise photograph taken at Bristol Zoo and radiated tortoises taken at Chester Zoo and Whipsnade. Spiny-tailed iguana at Whipsnade. Yellow-headed gecko at Manchester Museum. Apple snails at Whipsnade. Golden Mantella frogs and Tomato frog (centre) at Manchester Museum. All photographs by Susan Humphreys

.You can see the Madagascan Spider Tortoise at Africa Alive (Suffolk). You can see the Flat-shelled Spider Turtle and Radiated Tortoise at Jersey Zoo.You can see the Radiated Tortoise at Chester Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo and Cotswolds Wildlife Park.
Read about tortoise smuggling by clicking on the Madagascar News button.

You can see Madagascan/Malagasy Giant Jumping Rats at Bristol Zoo, Tropical World at Leeds Roundhay Park, Africa Alive (Suffolk), Jersey Zoo and West Midland Safari Park. You can see the narrow-striped mongoose at Jersey Zoo.
You can see the Madagascar Teal, Greater Flamingo, White-faced Whistling Duck, Meller's Duck, Hottentot Teal, African White-backed Duck, Black-winged Stilt and Black Bulbul at Jersey Zoo.
You can also see Madagascan Giant Jumping Rats, Night Herons, Madagascan Teal, Purple Gallinule and Common Emperor Scorpions at Cotswolds Wildlife Park.

   
 
Red-billed Pintail, Whistling Duck, Meller's Duck, Sacred Ibis and Little Egret (Blackbrook) by Susan Humphreys.

You can see the Little Egret, Whistling Duck, Meller's Duck, Red-billed Pintail (or teal) and Sacred Ibis at Blackbrook Zoological Park.

Lots of zoos offer adoption schemes some of which include species from Madagascar. I have adopted an Aye-aye at Jersey Zoo (and in the past a black and white ruffed lemur called Basset.) Jersey have also offered the chance to adopt Tappity the Aye-aye for Valentine's Day. Tappity is the youngest Aye-aye at Durrell (she was born in February 2003.) You can also adopt Bandro, the Alaotran gentle lemur or George the radiated tortoise. George is over 100-years-old and moved to the zoo back in 1976. The site says "Bandro is a lovely lemur who adores meal times! She is an extremely good mother and has produced seven offspring since arriving in Jersey."
You can adopt a radiated tortoise, black and white ruffed, alaotran gentle or ring-tailed lemur at Cotswolds Wildlife Park's website.

WONDERFUL WILDLIFE OF MADAGASCAR

Meet the lemurs

Madagascar is famous as the home of lemurs. You may think the lemur is a type of monkey, and the creatures are primates, but they are 'prosimians' which means before monkeys. There are believed to be thirtydifferent types of lemur falling into five 'families' but new ones are still being found. They range in size from the tiny Grey Mouse Lemur that could fit into your hand to the larger Indri - which looks like a black and white teddy bear, the Sifaka - which can dance on its back legs and the very strange looking Aye-aye. Some of the lemurs are nocturnal like the Mouse Lemur and the Aye-aye while the ring-tailed lemurs love to sunbathe! Most lemurs spend most of their time in trees (the ring-tail prefers the ground) and the Aye-aye has several nests that he can chose to sleep in.
They like to eat fruit, leaves and plants and have a very keen sense of smell. Some of the lemurs are very noisy, and you can hear them howl across the forests, perhaps that's why the word lemur was chosen it is Latin for ghost.
Lemurs are only found on Madagascar, its small islands - including St Mary's and neighbouring Comoro Islands. Fossils have been found belonging to now sadly extinct lemurs including a giant Aye-aye and a lemur as big as a gorilla!

Sadly many of the lemurs are classified as endangered or vulnerable (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) because of large-scale deforestation for agriculture, in particular rice fields, and timber production. Madagascar is also a poor country and some people will hunt lemurs for food. Fortunately many conservation groups are working to save the lemur by setting up education programmes in madagascar, setting up protected parks  where th ey can live safely and be studied. Zoos around the world also run breeding programmes to safeguard threatened species for the future.