World’s WEIRDEST animal? Meet Madagascar’s demon lemur, the aye-aye Daubentonia madagascariensis

The aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a unique species of nocturnal lemur found only on the island of Madagascar. Once occurring across much of Madagascar, the aye aye continues to be killed for nothing other than its fearful appearance, which led to its being known as the ’demon lemur’, or the world’s ugliest animal. With its unusual, “skeletal finger“ used to winkle out grubs from holes in trees, its huge eyes, bat-like ears and wiry hair, and the fact that it only comes out at dark, it is easy to see why the demon lemur is so feared. Still today, across much of Madagascar, the aye aye continues to be seen as a harbinger of death, and local taboos mean that aye ayes are often killed and their bodies put on stakes outside villages in the belief that this may drive away other aye ayes and evil spirits. Yet in reality, this amazing animal is shy and one of the most fascinating mammals on the planet. It is highly adapted to its environment, with many amazing traits and unique behaviour. Yet it is very rarely seen in the wild. Join naturalist Stewart McPherson on a quest to Madagascar to find the demon lemur in the wild! Madagascar separated from mainland Africa millions of years ago, and today harbours countless unique species found no where else of the planet. Sometimes called an ’ark of unique life’, this enormous island is home to entire groups of animals and plants that evolved in isolation and are found no where else on Earth. Join a specialist wildlife expedition to Madagascar and see the aye aye for yourself! Visit for details. Filmed by Stewart McPherson. Sincere thanks to Tom Dixon for editing this film -