Wildlife in Mauritius today

Abstract

The dodo which once inhabited Mauritius has become the very symbol of extinction by man. Today, nearly 300 years after the last dodo was killed, a unique endemic fauna still survives on the island, but it is now seriously threatened; one species, the Mauritius kestrel, is believed to be down to six in the wild. The author, who has been studying Mauritian conservation problems for the past two years, describes the situation, what has been done to conserve the wildlife, and what is planned.