Thewildlife of Mauritius consists of itsflora andfauna.Mauritius is located in theIndian Ocean to the east ofMadagascar. Due to its isolation, it has a relatively low diversity of wildlife; however, a high proportion of these areendemic species occurring nowhere else in the world. Many of these are now threatened withextinction because of human activities includinghabitat destruction and theintroduction of non-native species. Some have already become extinct, most famously thedodo which disappeared in the 17th century.
At the 16th U.S.-Africa Business Summit,[1] held May 6–9, 2024, Mauritius was held up as a model for African ecosystem conservation at a presentation by theSaint Brandon Conservation Trust in Dallas, Texas, at the international Corporate Council on Africa meetings that included six heads of state and government, 80 U.S. government officials, 16 African delegations and over 1,000 U.S. & African CEOs, investors and entrepreneurs.[2]
Prehistorically, due to its isolatedIndian Ocean location to the east ofMadagascar, Mauritius had noendemic terrestrialmammals. The only mammals that could find their way to the island were bats and marine mammals.[3]
The vast majority of mammalian species on the island have been introduced, either inadvertently or intentionally, by humans, such as thecrab-eating macaque,rats,mice,Asian house shrew,small Indian mongoose,tailless tenrec,Javan rusa deer,wild boar,Indian hares as wellferal dogs and cats and farmlivestock, such as domesticruminants andgoats.
These introduced mammals have had a varied impact on the island's pristine fauna. Given that they were free from natural predators, they rapidly grew to large numbers and were soon preying on and competing with the local fauna.
There were once three native species of fruit bats on the island, two of which were endemic to Mauritius. Only theMauritian flying fox remains on the island. TheRodrigues flying fox is now only found on the nearby island ofRodrigues, and thesmall Mauritian flying fox has gone extinct due to human related factors. Twoinsectivorousmicrobats are also present, theMauritian tomb bat (Taphozous mauritianus) and theNatal free-tailed bat (Mormopterus acetabulosus).[4]
On 7 November 2015, the government introduced a law authorising the culling of around 18,000 Mauritian fruit bats, despite protests, and despite the species' formal, legal protection and being ranked as avulnerable species by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[5] According to the IUCN, blaming the fruit bats for the "high" levels of damage caused to commercial fruit plantations is not substantiated, based on observations and research results.[6] By July 2018, the IUCN again ranked the fruit bat, only this time as anendangered species, following the previous years' (2015–2017) government-sanctioned killings. Despite this elevated concern status, and still being afforded legal protection, October 2018 saw a reinstatement of the cull; this most recent cull called for all but 20% of the fruit bat population to be killed, leaving approximately 13,000 (of the estimated 65,000) fruit bats.[7]
Over 100bird species have been recorded in Mauritius. There are seven or eight surviving endemic species on the main island depending on taxonomy. TheMauritius grey white-eye is the most common of these, being widespread across the island including in man-made habitats. The others are less common and are mainly restricted to theBlack River Gorges National Park in the south-west of the island. TheMauritius kestrel,Mauritius parakeet andpink pigeon all came close to extinction but are now increasing due to intensive conservation efforts.
Rodrigues has two further endemic species, theRodrigues warbler andRodrigues fody.[citation needed] Many small islands are named after birds, although some have seen their seabird colonies reduced or driven extinct by threats such as logging, poachers, or introduced species.[8] The only two places you can find thered-footed booby in Mauritius is Rodrigues andSt Brandon.
St Brandon islands are home to vast numbers of seabirds (Feare, 1984; Gardiner, 1907; Strauss in litt., 9.7.84). Staub[9] and Gueho (1968) found a total of 26 species including thered-footed booby. Blue-faced boobies (Sula dactylatra) are found on Serpent Island and Ile du Nord. Large populations of sooty terns (Sterna fuscata) and white terns (Gygis alba) occur on Albatros,Ile Raphael and Siren islands. In 2010, a survey of seabirds of St Brandon was undertaken. "We estimated that 1 084 191 seabirds comprising seven breeding species and excluding non-breeders were present at the archipelago. ... Analyses of 30 different islets that make up the atoll showed that the seabird species mostly partitioned their use of islets based on islet size, with four species preferring larger islets and two species preferring smaller islets."
St Brandon has been proposed for aMarine Protected Area by theWorld Bank, has been identified as anImportant Bird Area in Africa byBirdLife International, as a Marine Important Bird Area under theNairobi Convention, and aKey Biodiversity Area by theCEPF.[10] In 2011, the Ministry of Environment & Sustainable Development issued the "Mauritius Environment Outlook Report" which stated that "There is an urgent need to allocate more resources for a closer monitoring of the environmental assets of the islands." It further recommended that St Brandon be declared amarine protected area. In the President's Report of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation dated March 2016, St Brandon is declared an official MWF project in order to promote the conservation of the atoll.[11]
A wide variety of birds have been introduced into Mauritius. These include some of the most common and conspicuous birds of the islands including thecommon myna,red fody,red-whiskered bulbul andzebra dove. The common myna is becoming a pest due to its well documented habit of displacing smaller bird species from their habitat and also destroying the smaller bird species young. The mynas were introduced for commercial reasons, primarily to help control the locusts which eat the sugar cane leafage. Instead, they prey on small indigenous lizards which are easier to catch due to their basking habits which is required for their metabolism. The lizards have become the myna's primary source of food. Because of this, an imbalance is being created with insects which the lizard would prey on which the common myna does not eat due to its inability to crawl under rocks and forage in the dense grass, flora and fauna.
A number of endemic reptiles are found in Mauritius, particularly onRound Island, that were once found in the main island. These include theMauritius ornate day gecko,Bojer's skink,keel-scaled boa, andMauritius lowland forest day gecko.
Exotic reptiles include thegiant Madagascar day gecko,four-clawed gecko,spotted house gecko,common house gecko,oriental garden lizard,green iguana,panther chameleon,Indian wolf snake and thebrahminy blind snake.
Fivegiant tortoises of the genusCylindraspis, thedomed Mauritius giant tortoise,domed Rodrigues giant tortoise,saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise,saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise, and theRéunion giant tortoise formerly inhabited the island Mauritius, Rodrigues, and Réunion but are now extinct. As the largest terrestrial herbivores they performed an important role in the natural Mauritian ecosystem and in the regeneration of forests. For this reason, theAldabra giant tortoise fromAldabra and theradiated tortoise from the neighboring island ofMadagascar, have been introduced to several conservation areas of Mauritius such as the Pamplemousses gardens and various patches of remaining indigenous forest.
Thecritically endangeredhawksbill turtle (17% of the archipelago) and the endangeredgreen turtle (75% of the archipelago) visitSt. Brandon, with a focus onL'Île Coco which is critically important for the visiting hawksbill turtle. Theleatherback turtle is very rare to find. TheCargados Carajos shoals are of national as well as international importance, being the very last important turtle nesting area in Mauritius.
In the 1950s,guppies locally known asmillions abounded in Mauritian rivers. These little fish, often found in brackish water, appear to be outnumbered now byswordtails, introduced in the 1960s. Bigger fish like thecarp,koi and thegourami have also dwindled after the introduction oftilapia in the 1950s. A popular freshwater fish used to be thedamecéré, (known ascarpe de Maillard in French) introduced by Monsieur Céré, an administrator ofPamplemousses garden during the French period. These silver tinted fish were common in ponds and lakes in the 1950s but are now rarely seen. They were often offered for sale at thePort-Louis Central Market and by street vendors.[citation needed]
Recently theberri rouge (a hybrid of theblue andNile tilapia) has been introduced in view of supplementing the diet of the local population in protein. These fish are related to the tilapia but are somewhat rosy coloured. They are mostly bred on aquaculture farms. Two types ofcatfish (wels andwalking catfish) are also newcomers, and were probably been dumped into local waters by aquarists. These fish are proving to be a nuisance and are disturbing the ecosystem of Mauritian rivers.[12]
All the above fish have been introduced. Indigenous fish are few, and one of them is thegoby, locally known as bichiques, of which two species are found,Awaous commersoni andAwaous pallidus, which locally are known as bichiques. They are extremely voracious fish and have been observed to swallow fish almost their size. The adults are found mostly near estuaries while the younger fish prefer the lower course of rivers. Seldom active, they lie in wait to pounce on an unsuspecting prey. Gobies go to lay their eggs in the sea, and the larvae swim upstream around December. They are caught and eaten as a delicacy by the local population. But their numbers seem to have considerably dwindled. (There is another theory that gobies do not go to the sea but that their eggs are swept into the ocean by water currents; the larvae swim upstream in great numbers during the new moon.[citation needed]Another indigenous fish is themudskipper, locally known as the cabot, which is very rare.
A fish that can live both in sea and fresh water is themilkfish. Known locally asloubine, it is found in fairly great numbers near estuaries at particular times of the year. These young fish are often caught and eaten fried. However, this practice should be discouraged because these fish can grow very fast to adults weighing over 25 kg.[13] This is perhaps the fish that the Dutch saw when they first landed in Mauritius in 1598. As reported by historians: "they saw many fish in the streams around the coast, and some large birds which dived after the fish and ate them."[14]
Themullet also lives in shoals near estuaries but go up rivers in search of food. It is sometimes caught by fishermen on river banks who use bread as bait. However, it is a notoriously difficult fish to catch.
An easier game for the freshwater fisherman is perhaps thenatal moony, locally known as line, which can also be fished along rivers, notably the Grand River North West.
Another indigenous dweller of Mauritian rivers and lakes is theeel. It is not very often seen and prefers to stay in crevices or hide under rocks. Eels spend most of their time in fresh water but go back to the sea, where they come from, to reproduce. Mauritian eels, like those fromMadagascar,Réunion,Seychelles and East Africa, have their breeding grounds in the Nazareth Trough, an ocean trench situated between longitudes 60-65 °E and latitudes 10-20 °S. Eels can wriggle across land, and this perhaps explains why eels are found in some isolated ponds of Mauritius. There are three varieties of eels on the island. Two of them are found in Madagascar, Reunion and Africa, while the third one is present in the Seychelles. Most probably, the commonest eel is themarbled eel. Eels can grow quite big, if they cannot find a way to go back to the sea.[15] This perhaps explains why some very big eels have been caught in Mauritius, notably at La Ferme reservoir. InRodrigues an eel more than 2 metres long was caught in a spring, in the heart of a forest, at Cascade-Pigeon.[16] It is believed that the eel was 100 years old. There is a theory that eels play an important role in ecosystems; they prevent springs from drying up. All three Mauritian species take a silvery colour when they go back to the sea.
Shrimps are common on the banks of most rivers. There are about six varieties of shrimps, and some of them are endemic. One type of shrimp is thecamaron. This shrimp has a transparent body speckled with tiny reddish-brown or black spots. The female, smaller than the male, has two pincers of equal length but of a thinner size. Another type is thecrevette chevaquine. It prefers to live near estuaries. Four varieties are endemic. They are thechevrette sonz,Caridina mauritii, thebetangue and thepetit chevrette.
Freshwater crabs are often found in waterways close to the sea. During the reproductive period, the adults gather on some riverbanks near the coast. The eggs are swept into the sea by water currents, and on hatching the young are carried into the river or coastal pond by the tides. The crabs feed mostly on algae and other vegetable matter.
Soft shell terrapins with long necks have been noticed in some rivers. They are of Chinese origin and were apparently introduced in a river of theMoka District about a century ago; these reptiles are considered to be aggressive and are fast invading other rivers of the island.[17]
The marine fish of Mauritius include holocentrids (Myripristis berndti,Neoniphon sammara,Sargocentron spiniferum andSargocentron diadema), mullet (Mugil cephalus andCrenimugil crenilabis), rabbitfish (Siganus sutor andSiganus argenteus), groupers (Cephalopholis sonnerati,Cephalopholis argus,Epinephelus fasciatus,Epinephelus hexagonatus,Epinephelus lanceolatus,Epinephelus merra,Epinephelus morio,Epinephelus tukula andVariola louti), seabream (Rhabdosargus sarba), jacks (Caranx ignobilis,Elagatis bipinnulata andTrachinotus baillonii), goatfish (Mulloidichthys vanicolensis,Parupeneus barberinus andParupeneus cyclostomus), butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus,Chaetodon kleinii,Chaetodon auriga,Hemitaurichthys zoster andForcipiger flavissimus), Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus), angelfish (Pomacanthus semicirculatus), cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus apogonoides andCheilodipterus macrodon), emperors (Monotaxis grandoculis,Gnathodentex aureolineatus,Lethrinus mahsena,Lethrinus nebulosus andLethrinus harak), hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus,Cirrhitops mascarenensis andParacirrhites forsteri), damsels (Abudefduf sparoides,Abudefduf margariteus,Abudefduf sordidus,Dascyllus abudafur,Pomacentrus pikei,Pomacentrus caeruleus,Stegastes limbatus,Stegastes lividus andStegastes pelicieri), clownfish (Amphiprion chrysogaster,Amphiprion clarkii andAmphiprion allardi), tangs (Acanthurus nigrofuscus,Acanthurus triostegus,Ctenochaetus striatus,Paracanthurus,Zebrasoma gemmatum andNaso unicornis), snappers (Etelis carbunculus,Etelis coruscans andLutjanus kasmira), jobfish (Aprion andPristipomoides filamentosus), parrotfish (Chlorurus cyanescens,Scarus scaber andScarus ghobban), mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), scombrids (Thunnus albacares,Katsuwonus pelamis andAcanthocybium solandri), barracudas (Sphyraena barracuda andSphyraena acutipinnis), natal moony (Monodactylus argenteus), boxfish (Ostracion meleagris andOstracion trachys), pufferfish (Arothron nigropunctatus,Arothron hispidus andCanthigaster valentini), porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix,Diodon liturosus andDiodon holocanthus), triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum,Balistapus,Pseudobalistes fuscus,Odonus niger,Rhinecanthus aculeatus andSufflamen chrysopterum), blennies (Alticus monochrus), gobies (Nemateleotris magnifica,Istigobius decoratus andValenciennea strigata), catfish (Plotosus lineatus), anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis andMirolabrichthys evansi), wrasses (Coris aygula,Bodianus anthioides,Bodianus macrourus,Cheilinus trilobatus,Cheilinus chlorourus,Halichoeres hortulanus,Macropharyngodon bipartitus andLabroides dimidiatus), tilefish (Malacanthus latovittatus), fusiliers (Caesio caerulaurea andCaesio teres), eels (Gymnothorax griseus andMyrichthys maculosus), scorpionfish (Pterois antennata,Rhinopias eschmeyeri,Scorpaenopsis cirrosa andSynanceia verrucosa), anglerfish (Antennarius commerson andAntennarius maculatus), seahorses (Hippocampus histrix), cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii), trumpetfish (Aulostomus chinensis), needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus), marlins (Istiompax indica,Makaira mazara,Kajikia audax andIstiophorus platypterus), swordfish (Xiphias gladius), rays (Aetobatus narinari andMobula alfredi), sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos,Carcharhinus leucas,Carcharhinus limbatus,Carcharhinus melanopterus,Galeocerdo cuvier,Rhincodon typus,Sphyrna lewini andSphyrna mokarran), remoras (Echeneis naucrates andRemora remora) and many more.
Crustaceans include the shore crab (Percnon guinotae), natal lightfoot crab (Grapsus tenuicrustatus), ghost crab (Ocypode pallidula andOcypode ceratophthalmus), hermit crabs (Dardanus guttatus andCalcinus elegans), spiny lobsters (Panulirus penicillatus,Panulirus longipes andPanulirus versicolor), mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) and shrimp (Stenopus hispidus,Anyclocaris brevicarpalis,Lysmata amboinensis,Urocaridella antonbruunii andRhynchocinetes durbanensis).
Cephalopods include the squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) and the octopus (Octopus cyanea andOctopus sp.)
Echinoderms include the brittle star (Ophiolepis superba), starfish (Fromia milleporella,Fromia monilis,Nardoa variolata,Culcita schmideliana andAcanthaster planci), urchins (Echinodiscus auritus,Colobocentrotus atratus,Echinometra mathaei,Diadema andEchinothrix diadema) and sea cucumbers (Holothuria leucospilota andActinopyga echinites).
Marine gastropods include porcelains (Cypraea,Mauritia histrio,Monetaria caputserpentis andMonetaria annulus), cones (Conus), ranellids (Charonia tritonis,Monoplex aquatilis andMonoplex pilearis) and conchs (Gibberukus gibberulus,Turbinella pyrum,Lambis lambis,Lambis truncata,Strombus sinuatus,Strombus plicatus andHarpago arthritica).
Bivalves include the black-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera), prickly pen shell (Pinna muricata), tiger lucine (Codakia tigerina) and giant clams (Tridacna squamosa,Tridacna squamosina,Tridacna gigas,Tridacna rosewateri andTridacna maxima).
Cnidarians include the jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri andThysanostoma loriferum), siphonophores (Physalia physalis andPorpita porpita), anemones (Heteractis magnifica), coral (Acropora,Pocillopora damicornis,Pocillopora eydouxi,Porites lutea,Platygyra daedalea,Galaxea fascicularis andPavona cactus) and gorgons (Paramuricea andSubergorgia mollis).
About 39 butterfly species are known from Mauritius and Rodrigues. Seven of these areendemic.
Over 700 native species offlowering plant are found in Mauritius and nearly half of these (246) areendemic.[18]Rainforest formerly covered most of the island withpalmsavannah in drier regions and areas ofheathland in the mountains. Most of this natural vegetation has been destroyed and what remains is threatened by the spread of introduced plants.
Native trees include eleven surviving species of Mauritius ebony (Diospyros tesselaria,Diospyros egrettarum,Diospyros revaughanii,Diospyros melanida,Diospyros leucomelas and several others), takamaka (Calophyllum tacamahaca), manglier (Sideroxylon cinereum,Sideroxylon puberulum,Sideroxylon grandiflorum and (Sideroxylon boutonianum), ox tree (Polyscias maraisiana), bois blanc (Polyscias rodriguesiana), bois de natte (Labourdonnaisia calophylloides,Labourdonnnaisia glauca andLabourdonnaisia revoluta), makak (Mimusops balata andMimusops petiolaris), bois puant (Foetidia mauritiana), bois d'olive (Cassine orientalis), bois de judas (Cossinia pinnata), laffouche (Ficus densifolia,Ficus reflexa,Ficus rubra and more), bois de clou (Eugenia lucida andEugenia kanakana), arbre ferney (Eugenia bojeri), bois papaye (Polyscias gracilis), mapou tree (Cyphostemma mappia), bois de rat (Tarenna), baume (Psiadia arguta andPsiadia rodriguesiana), hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa), bois binjouin (Terminalia bentzoe), bois de pipe (Hilsenbergia petiolaris) and a range of other indigenous and endemic tree species.
The palm species that are indigenous to the island of Mauritius areAcanthophoenix rubra (possibly other species),Dictyosperma album (var.album &conjugatum),Hyophorbe lagenicaulis,Hyophorbe vaughanii,Hyophorbe verschaffeltii,Latania loddigesii,Corypha umbraculifera andTectiphiala ferox.
Indigenous stipes include the cordyline (Cordyline mauritiana), bois de chandelle (Dracaena marginata) and chandelle (Dracaena concinna).
Mauritius is also home to the rarest palm in the world,Hyophorbe amaricaulis, with only one specimen. It is found in theSSR Botanical Garden of Curepipe.
Mauritius is the home of a large number of endemic species ofPandanus (screwpine or vacoas), namely:Pandanus carmichaelii,Pandanus barkleyi,Pandanus conglomeratus,Pandanus drupaceus,Pandanus eydouxia,Pandanus glaucocephalus,Pandanus iceryi,Pandanus incertus,Pandanus macrostigma,Pandanus microcarpus,Pandanus obsoletus,Pandanus palustris,Pandanus prostratus,Pandanus pseudomontanus,Pandanus pyramidalis,Pandanus rigidifolius,Pandanus sphaeroides,Pandanus spathulatus,Pandanus vandermeeschii andPandanus wiehei. The common vacoas sac (Pandanus utilis) ofMadagascar has also been introduced and propagated in Mauritius, and it has now naturalised.
The national flower of Mauritius is boucle d'oreille (Trochetia boutoniana), which is now restricted to a single mountain.
OtherTrochetia species are endemic to Mauritius. They areTrochetia parviflora,Trochetia uniflora,Trochetia triflora andTrochetia blackburniana.
Endemichibiscus species include the mandrinette (Hibiscus fragilis), mandrinette blanc (Hibiscus genevei), hibiscus des mascareignes (Hibiscus boryanus) and the mandrinette de rodrigues (Hibiscus liliflorus).
Endemic flowers include the dombeya (Dombeya acutangula andDombeya rodriguesiana), bois tambour (Tambourissa cocottensis,Tambourissa amplifolia,Tambourissa peltata,Tambourissa pedicellata,Tambourissa quadrifa andTambourissa tau), the Mauritius bloody bell flower (Nesocodon mauritianus), barleria (Barleria observatrix), bois banane (Gaertnera psychotrioides,Gaertnera hirtiflora andGaertnera longifolia), bois corail (Chassalia coriacea andChassalia boryana), lys du pays (Crinum mauritianum), orchidee (Oeoniella,Oeonia, etc.) and many more.
Introduced plants that have becomeinvasive include "Chinese" (actually Brazilian) guava (Psidium cattleianum), travellers trees (Ravenala madagascariensis) andLantana camara.
For the purpose of landscaping and gardening in Mauritius, exotics have traditionally been used, and many of these have spread into the surrounding vegetation. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea glabra andBougainvillea spectabilis) andfrangipani (Plumeria obtusa andPlumeria rubra) are still among the most commonly planted ornamental species. Another species is theroyal poinciana, which is also common.
However, for urban and roadside landscaping Mauritius is beginning to turn to their many varied and unique endemic plant species. Many endemic species, such asbottle palms,mapou tree andox tree, are now being used as ornamentals for both public landscaping and in private gardens across Mauritius. TheAfrican baobab is rare but still planted in gardens.
Conservation work in Mauritius is carried out by the Forestry Service, National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS) and by non-governmental organizations such as theMauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), theDurrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT) andthe Saint Brandon Conservation Trust. Efforts to preserve native flora and fauna have includedcaptive breeding, habitat restoration and the eradication of introduced species.
Protection involves three national parks, nature reserves, a range of other protected areas, and botanical gardens for education and public outreach.Black River Gorges National Park covers 65.74 km2 (25.38 sq mi) of land and another 45 km2 (17 sq mi) is protected by nature reserves such as Round Island andÎle aux Aigrettes.[19][20]
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