{"product_id":"the-ayeaye-and-i-9781559702041","title":"The Aye-Aye and I","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"In the gloom it came along the branches towards me - its round  hypnotic eyes blazing; its spoon-like ears turning to and fro independently like radar dishes; its white whiskers touching and moving like sensors; the thin  attenuated fingers on its black hands tapping delicately on the branches as it moved along  like those of a pianist playing a complicated piece by Chopin.\" Thus does Gerald Durrell - scientist  conservationist  and humorist par excellence - describes his first encounter with the legendary Aye-aye  the beast with the magic finger that still lurks  though in fast dwindling numbers  in the forests of Madagascar. Once thought to be extinct  the Aye-aye  one of the worlds strangest creatures  is now found only in small  isolated colonies. Durrells mission to Madagascar was to try and capture some  bring them back to his world-famous zoo on the island of Jersey  and breed them. Although on a serious scientific expedition  Gerald Durrell has a unique vision and inimitable sense of humor that make his observations and comments wondrously funny no matter how difficult or trying the circumstances. Nothing escapes his sharp eye  whether he is describing the great zoma market  the village dances  the dangerous bridges and river crossings  the strange foods and stranger magic  or the vagaries of local officialdom. As in all of Durrells best writings  it is the animals who are the stars: here  in addition to the Aye-aye itself  the reader will delight in the authors depiction of the cat-like Fosa  the Flat-tailed tortoise  the Gentle lemurs of Lake Aloatra  and the Malagasy chameleon (which  according to Durrell  \"looks as if he gets his clothes from a colour-blind Parisian designer\"). \"It is impossible \" noted the San Francisco Chronicle  \"for Gerald Durrell to write anything that is less exuberant  eccentric  and amusing.\" In his account of this wildlife \"rescue mission \" Durrell is  very simply  at his superb best.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45648256794677,"sku":"ByrdShop_1559702044","price":34.14,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781559702041.jpg?v=1781714133","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-ayeaye-and-i-9781559702041","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}