Nicspicks's Blog

Unusual Animal Being Killed Due to Superstition

‘Nicspicks’ for today is an all about an animal I’m sure most of you have never heard of or seen before.

Discovery News reports that although the aye-aye weighs a mere 4 pounds in the wild, this tiny animal is viewed as the harbinger of death by locals in Madagascar, the only place on Earth where you’ll find these creatures in nature.

Here are a couple of facts on the Aye Aye (according to National Geographic)
-They are related to chimpanzees, apes, and humans
-They are dark brown or black and are distinguished by a bushy tail that is larger than their body. They also feature big eyes, slender fingers, and large, sensitive ears; they have pointed claws on all their fingers and toes except for their opposable big toes, which enable them to dangle from branches
-They are nocturnal, and spend the day curled up in a ball-like nest of leaves and branches

Well these harmless little guys are becoming endangered because of their supposed ‘bad luck’. The article continued to state that according to legend, the aye-aye, with its dark eyes, long fingers and ghoulish appearance, is thought to sneak into the dwellings of nearby villagers and use its middle finger — considerably longer than its other fingers — to pierce the hearts of sleeping humans. Superstitions around the aye-aye may have developed because it is apparently unafraid of humans. It will even walk right up to human passersby to take a closer look. The aye-aye’s reputation is, of course, entirely unfounded. However, because of the way the aye-aye is perceived, this perfectly harmless creature is often killed on sight.

According to National Geographic, Such hunting, coupled with habitat destruction, have made the aye-aye critically endangered. Today they are protected by law.

Spooky creature endangered by superstition
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36053677/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Aye Aye Facts, Pictures
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/aye-aye/