First aye-aye to be bred in UK is born at Bristol Zoo Gardens

The first captive bred aye-aye in the UK has been born at Bristol Zoo Gardens. The Zoo announced today that it is the first UK zoo to successfully breed and hand-rear an aye-aye, the largest nocturnal primate in the world and one of the strangest mammals on the planet. ‘Kintana’ (meaning star in Malagasy), only the second baby to be hand-reared in the world (the first was in Jersey Zoo), has now made his first public appearance since his birth on 11 February 2005 following months of devoted care and round the clock attention by keeper staff, which has included a schedule of feeds every two to three hours.

Baby Kintana’s birth is an important step in the conservation breeding programme for this species and a rare world-wide event. Once thought to be extinct in its native home on the mainland of Madagascar, the aye-aye is classified as endangered under the IUCN Red List (2002). The highly distinctive aye-aye, once thought to be a rodent, is recognised by its starring, yellowish eyes, huge triangular ears, large squirrel-like front teeth, slightly unkempt appearance and long slender middle finger, which it uses to winkle out wood-boring larvae hidden within hollow trees. The aye-aye taps on branches to reveal cavities where insects can be found, before gnawing a hole and extracting the grubs.

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.

Only ten institutions across the world have aye-ayes in captivity, therefore this birth is a vital development in the long-term future of the species. Paris and Jersey zoos are the only other European establishments to have bred the aye-aye before. The decision to hand-rear the baby was taken by keeper and veterinary staff who considered this the best option to give the baby the greatest chance of survival following his mother’s poor maternal record. The baby was taken into the care of a dedicated team immediately after the birth with no resistance from his mother. Little is known about the rearing process of this species, so he has been treated very carefully, with advice from experts regarding his feeding formula and round the clock monitoring of his progress.

Caroline Brown, who was one of the keepers responsible for caring for Kintana, comments:
“In the first few weeks I was feeding him every two hours through a syringe with a plastic nibble, which meant setting my alarm throughout the night. At the moment he can sit in the palm of my hand, but is growing every day and can hold his head up and walk about more confidently. I’ve also been grooming him with a toothbrush and applying baby oil to keep his skin soft.”

Staff have been keeping a diary of his development since his birth, which gives an important insight into the hand-rearing process and reveals some interesting findings regarding this species, about which relatively little is known. The diary reveals that Kintana is a fussy eater, likes to suckle on his feet and makes a gentle clicking noise following feeds.

Kintana will be reintroduced to his mother over time under the watchful eye of Bristol Zoo staff and will live in Twilight World, an enclosure that recreates the dusky deserts and forests of a number of threatened nocturnal creatures from across the world.