"Mel" is a rare baby aye-aye, a long-fingered lemur. She's the child of Ardrey and Grendel. You can debate the cuteness (or creepiness) of her all day, but you can't argue with Mel's spirit and curiosity, which is a common trait in lemurs.
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Mel was born on Aug. 13. She was weighed at 81 grams the next day. Her keeper, Matt Cuskelly, says that, despite being small, Mel seems bright, alert and strong.
The Lemur Center says aye-ayes are endangered on Madagascar, their native island. Logging and hunting have brought their population numbers down in recent decades.
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"They're not at all aggressive, they're extremely curious and energetic and they're very intelligent," DLC curator Cathy Williams said. "They learn very quickly."
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