Furbies, those annoying furry robots that were all the rage in the late nineties, are back. But this time they’re alive. In the past few months, scientists have captured three live Furby lookalikes—called pygmy tarsiers (Tarsius pumilus)—in Indonesian forests. Pygmy tarsiers are tiny nocturnal primates, less than four inches long, with giant eyes and long thin fingers tipped with claws.
Until now, the gremlin-like creatures were almost mystical. The last time a pygmy tarsier was found alive was in 1930. Many scientists were convinced that the species was extinct until Indonesian scientists found one dead in a mouse trap in 2000. Determined to track down the mysterious species, a team of primatologists set up 276 mist nets in the mountains of Indonesia. They captured three, two males and one female, and fitted them with radio collars.
