Endangered aye-aye finds home at Africa Alive near Lowestoft

Zanvie is a female aye-aye that has arrived at Africa Alive <i>(Image: Africa Alive)</i>
Zanvie is a female aye-aye that has arrived at Africa Alive (Image: Africa Alive)
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A primate with a long, spindly finger and a taste for insects has arrived at a zoo.

Zanvie, a female aye-aye, is settling into her new home at Africa Alive in Kessingland after travelling from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey.

Aye-ayes are native only to Madagascar and are classed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.

They face an uncertain future due to habitat loss and human persecution, with only around 1,000 to 10,000 believed to be left in the wild.

"Aye-ayes are one of my favourite Madagascan animals," Sara Goatcher, head of conservation education at Africa Alive, said.

"Their unique, and sometimes weird, adaptations make them a perfect ambassador for educating visiting schools and groups about the wonderful wildlife of Madagascar and the amazing ways that animals have evolved to survive in the wild."

Known for their ever-growing incisors and large, sensitive ears, the animals use percussive foraging to find food, tapping on wood with their elongated middle finger to locate insects under tree bark.

Already making herself at home, Zanvie has been busily settling in and can be seen in the nocturnal house at Africa Alive.

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