The Palmarium Reserve (Akanin’ny Nofy) offers one of the most reliable opportunities in Madagascar to see the elusive, nocturnal Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis). We took a boat trip (🎟️50,000 MGA) organised by Palmarium Hotel to a dedicated Aye-aye island, where these rare lemurs are protected and fed coconuts. We observed them in a natural, yet habituated setting, making sightings highly probable.
The Aye-aye is the world’s largest nocturnal primate. It is characterised by its continuously growing rodent-like teeth and, in Malagasy culture, is sometimes feared as a bad omen. This strange primate uses echolocation-like behaviour to detect insects hidden inside wood, then skillfully extracts them with precision. We witnessed their unique adaptations, including their large, echo-locating ears and long, thin middle finger used to extract grubs.
Seeing an aye-aye up close feels almost surreal. Its appearance is otherworldly, yet fascinating—a reminder of Madagascar’s unique biodiversity. Aye-aye is considered rare and endangered due to habitat loss (deforestation in Madagascar), hunting, often driven by local superstitions and naturally low population density. Likely only a few thousand individuals remain in the wild, and populations are scattered and fragmented, making them harder to track and protect. They’re one of the most unusual and vulnerable primates on Earth.
The price is supposed to be 50,000 MGA once you join the group, according to the price list and what others paid. Still, since they added us to the group, they charged us an individual price of 75,000 MGA, pure nonsense, but we had no power to fight with the bipolar manager of Palmarium hotel again.
