Deep in the heart of the Indian Ocean, a mere 500 miles off the Eastern coast of Madagascar, lies a subtropical jungle-the island of Mauritius. It’s a sparkling paradise, adorned with white sand beaches, roaring waterfalls, placid lagoons and enormous mountains, their cliffs as black as the night. Mauritius is a 24 karat emerald atop a prismatic band of coral reefs.
Like all things beautiful, Mauritius had a unique magnetism that called to settlers from all corners of the world. The rising presence of man caused many plants and animals to seemingly fade into the mist.
While it’s arguably the most famous, the dodo is only one of over 600 indigenous species to call Mauritius home. Due to its isolation, Mauritius has a considerably low diversity of wildlife. In fact, a large proportion of Mauritian species are endemic, meaning they don’t occur anywhere else on the planet.
Location of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean
The Dodo: A Symbol of Extinction
If you watched the Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the 1960’s called The Flintstones, you might remember one of the things Fred loved to eat…Dodo bird eggs. Because the name is kind of funny, you might think a Dodo bird is a figment of the imagination of the creators of The Flintstones. But in fact, Dodo Birds were a real animal found only here on the island of Mauritius where I am currently living for six weeks. Not only real, but prolific and healthy until the arrival of man to this island in the 1600’s. The Dodo story is a sad one, and also one we should learn something from.
Read also: Conservation Lessons
The dodo bird was not the only wacky animal inhabitant of the island of Mauritius: Bad-tempered parrots, wart-faced pigeons and several other now-extinct but noteworthy indigenous animals called this land home, new research suggests.
Most people have heard of the dodo, but a newly-discovered Dutch manuscript describes some of the other extinct wildlife of Mauritius Island. The 1669 report, written by a Dutch soldier working with the Dutch East India Company, describes lesser-known species such as blue pigeons and raven parrots.
The dodo is a symbol of man-made extinction.
The Real Story Of The Dodo Bird's (Current) Extinction
The Dodo's Demise
It’s the ultimate question asked of any centuries-old crisis: who started this? Who is to blame? Which nation was the first to set foot on Mauritius? According to historical documents, the Dutch were first to land on the shores of Mauritius in 1598, forced to do so by one of the violent storms that battered the island and surrounding waters.
With them, the Dutch and following settlers brought invasive species such as pigs, rats, goats, macaques and deer. All of which were brought to Mauritius by humans and all of which happened to have a taste for dodo eggs. Sailors found an easy meal in adult dodos, as their docile nature and lack of fear made them approachable. Eventually, the same storms that trapped settlers here drove them away.
Read also: The Extinct Dodo
Because in the late 17th century. man brought an abrupt end to the dodo species. By 1681 the last Dodo was killed. Less than a century to eliminate an entire species.
Although inevitable, had man never encountered a single dodo, the tropical island of Mauritius may still have a few. How they arrived in such secluded paradise is unclear. Prior to mankind’s intrusion, the flightless dodo was able to maintain a steady population, even though it laid no more than one egg per year. But, with the introduction of one species came several more-including rats, goats, pigs, deer and macaque-all of which played a hand in decimating dodo numbers to zero.
Let’s Be Clear. The Only Stupid Creatures In This Story Are Humans.
Understanding the Dodo
Much of what we know about the dodo is still up for debate. Speculation colors the precise details of everything from diet to body mass index to closest relatives. However, what we do know about the dodo paints a picture of a species that’s been critically misunderstood-a bird widely considered to be so unintelligent, it’s satirically deemed responsible for its own demise.
Contrary to popular belief, the dodo was intelligent, as evidenced by its behaviors, physical attributes and diet. Their evolution is a prime example of just how vulnerable and ill-equipped the species had become.
Read also: Myths of African Monsters
It’s unclear when or how the dodo came to live on the mystifying island of Mauritius, but they certainly never left. This small volcanic island was the dodo’s only home, likely due to its safety and plentiful resources. In fact, evolutionary traits indicate that living conditions were so ideal, the dodo ultimately became flightless-and therefore, unable to leave.
Infographic about the Dodo bird
Simple Life
With its muted gray feathers and stark white tail plume, the dodo was, in many ways, a minimalist. Nature, having seemingly forgotten to provide the bird an enemy, removed its necessity to fly or seek shelter in the branches of Mauritius’ lofty trees. Over time, heads shrank in size and beaks became longer, more curved, allowing access to the low-lying food, fallen fruit and roots the dodo is suspected to have eaten.
Of course, a heavier frame didn’t just eliminate the dodo’s ability to fly. It required additional support and increased mobility, too-silent demands, answered by the development of thick leg bones, large kneecaps and a broad pelvis. The development of these features ensured that flightlessness would never hinder the dodo, even on Mauritius’ rocky terrain. In fact, their physique and lack of predators allowed the dodo to truly thrive at ground-level.
Overall, dodos were a paradox in both behavior and design-a stout, muscular breed whose attributes translated into an almost comedic appearance. A species with no natural predators, given superior strength and features that could inflict damage on foreign enemies, if only it was able to recognize them as such. Still, their evolution was biologically complex, its success evidenced by the species’ carefree lifestyle, prior to the arrival of settlers at Mauritius.
Without the threat of predation, there’s no biological reason for any animal to expend energy to protect itself from predators. Plus, the dodo was anything but small-plump and clocking an impressive average height of three feet.
Dodos, growing larger in body and smaller in wingspan, built their nests on the ground. And in these low-lying nests, couples laid only one egg per year. Female dodos laid just one egg per year, likely because it was under no stress to produce more.
That the dodo’s appetizer of choice were literal rocks probably didn’t help dissolve their reputation of being stupid. In reality, rocks were a wise choice and an essential part of the bird’s diet.
Unfortunately, the absence of natural predators meant that the dodo’s resulting temperament, traits and behavior made it an easy target for the invasive species that accompanied equally-invasive human settlers.
The dodo’s situation was a complicated one, with no single cause for its extinction.
Doves, vultures and pigeons are all purported to be relatives of the dodo. But one species shares ties in more ways than one. The bright and colorful Nicobar pigeon can be found on the islands after which it’s named. Similarly-isolated and tropical, it’s also the dodo’s closest living relative.
Other Extinct Creatures of Mauritius
But Dodos are not the only animal that became extinct after man arrived on this remote island in the Indian Ocean. The Giant Domed Tortoises and the Mauritius Saddle Back Tortoises were eaten as protein by sailors until they too became extinct. The Mauritius Giant Skink, the Mauritius Flying Fox and the Mauritius Owl are no longer in existence, as well as another dozen animals and birds.
Records are scant for most Mauritian wildlife. Most species left no fossil record but disappeared too long ago for preserved specimens to exist.
Most species left no fossil record but disappeared too long ago for preserved specimens to exist. One exception is the Mauritian giant tortoise, of which there are both written accounts and a small fossil record.
Same is true for the two species of giant tortoise. At the time there were so many of these giant tortoises it is said a man could walk along the beach across the backs of the tortoises for miles (by the way, they CAN feel that, their shells are very sensitive).
These tortoises were immense, and must have been beautiful. On Mauritius itself, accounts described the tortoises as large enough for a man to ride, or to “creepe with two men’s burden.” These unfortunate creatures were apparently tormented primarily for sport, as their meat was “odius… better fit for Hogs (sic) then man,” although they were sometimes eaten salted or rendered for fat. These tortoises once roamed the island in vast numbers, but were no match for those same pigs that destroyed their nests and young.
For lesser known wildlife, the only records come from expedition reports and museum catalogues. One of the only records of the now-extinct Mauritian weaver bird, for example, was made by an expedition from the Philadelphia Academy in 1911, who saw five. The Mauritian olivacea thrush was apparently eaten into extinction; it can now be found in the Philadelphia academy collection.
Historians had previously identified the animals that lived on the island before Dutch settlers arrived in the 17th century, but the details about these creatures had remained largely unknown."There are lots of reports of the original wildlife of Mauritius," said Julian Hume, an avian paleontologist and artist with London's Natural History Museum. "But almost all of them only say things like, 'This bird was easy to catch,' and 'It was good to eat.'"
Now, Hume's colleague Ria Winters has discovered a report on these animals written by a Dutch settler. A translation of the report, which Winters found in the Netherlands' National Archives in The Hague amid thousands of other yet-to-be translated documents, provides far more information about the behavior, ecology and physical appearance of the animals that once roamed the island, Hume told Live Science.
Although Pretorius' letter touches on the various ungulates - including cattle, goats, pigs and deer - that the Dutch brought to Mauritius, the most enlightening portions of the text describe the island's indigenous life.
For instance, based on other reports, Hume had previously argued that the island's raven parrot, which became extinct in 1675, had a blackish-brown body with a blue head and possibly a red beak. But based on Pretorius' descriptions and a re-examination of other accounts, Hume now thinks the bird was brightly colored and predominantly red.
Pretorius' account also suggests the raven parrot was behaviorally flightless (it couldn't fly well, despite having the biology to do so) and that this flaw likely led to the creature's demise. The bird was tough and aggressive - or "very bad tempered," as Pretorius described it - and able to fend off introduced predators such as black rats and crab-eating macaques, but only for so long, Hume said.
The parrot's obstinate attitude also prevented it from being transported elsewhere. "When captive, it refuses to eat," Pretorius wrote. "It would prefer to die rather than to live in captivity."
Another interesting animal that was indigenous to the island was the Mauritius blue pigeon (Alectroenas nitidissima), which went extinct in 1837, Hume said. All other Alectroenas species are known to have warty faces, but contemporary artists depicted A. nitidissima as having smooth faces. "It seemed bizarre, but we thought that must have been the case," Hume said. But according to Pretorius, A.
Conservation Efforts and Hope for the Future
At one point, several native birds neared an end similar to that of the dodo, including the Mauritius kestrel, the Mauritius parakeet and the pink pigeon. Fortunately, the winds of change have given conservation a well-deserved spotlight.
There have been some successes. The Mauritian kite and the Mauritian olive white-eye, both nearly extinct in 1911, are still alive today due to dedicated conservation efforts. Unfortunately, the losses continue to outpace the gains.
Today no species resembling the Dodo is on the island or on the planet. A species of giant tortoise that is similar to the Domed Tortoise is found on the Seychelle Island. This tortoise is now being bred on Mauritius.
Today the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation is working to protect and reintroduce flora and fauna to the island in several protected areas both on and off shore. Their work is both restoring entire eco-systems and sharing restoration knowledge both locally and internationally.
Visitors and locals are able to see first hand the conservation projects being carried out in Mauritius including the offshore islets and Rodrigues. MWF works with local and international partners, with the long-term aim of recreating lost ecosystems by saving some of rarest species from extinction and restoring the native forest.
You don’t need to stay six weeks on this island to understand how unique it is on our planet as home to a diverse collection of plant and wildlife, as well as a migratory stop-over for many species. A visit to Mauritius is recommended, and while you are here be sure to connect with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and support the incredible work they are doing to protect, preserve and educate.
Colossal is committed to reviving species lost to extinction in an effort to build a better world. Therefore, it is our intention to partner with the government of Mauritius to establish a foundation for the de-extinction and rewilding of the beloved bird we all dearly miss.
“The dodo, a bird woven in the DNA of Mauritius, is sadly iconic for the role mankind played in its extinction. It symbolizes efforts to prevent species extinctions.
“There has never been more urgency to preserve species than there is today. It’s not just important for their continued existence. It’s for the greater good of the planet. Beth Shapiro, along with collaborators Tom Gilbert and John Fjeldså from the University of Copenhagen, led a team to sequence and assemble the dodo's genome using DNA extracted from a skull in the collection of the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
“We have a duty to heal our planet, and to sustain it for future generations.
While the dodo disappeared, the pink pigeon held on-partially because its flesh is toxic and causes stomach pain and vomiting, redirecting both human and animal predators toward a more palatable meal.
The pink pigeon’s delicate, rose-tinted plumage stands as a testament to nature's creativity. Unfortunately, mankind’s attraction to the equally-stunning island of Mauritius inadvertently drove the pink pigeon-among other endemic avian species-towards the precipice of extinction. With its natural habitats overtaken by urban sprawl and native food sources diminishing, the pink pigeon’s survival hung in a delicate balance on more than one occasion.
Popular articles:
tags: #Mauritius
