The wildlife of Mauritius consists of its

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...

is located in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...

to the east of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. Due to its isolation, it has a relatively low diversity of wildlife; however, a high proportion of these are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

species occurring nowhere else in the world. Many of these are now threatened with

extinction Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

because of human activities including

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and the

introduction Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to: General use * Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music * Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...

of non-native species. Some have already become extinct, most famously the

dodo The dodo (''Raphus cucullatus'') is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo's closest genetic relative was the also-extinct Rodrigues solitaire. The ...

which disappeared in the 17th century.

Fauna

Mammals

Due to its isolated geographic location, remote from large land masses, Mauritius originally had no terrestrial mammals. The only mammals that made their way to the island are bats and marine mammals. Of the two fruit bats, only one remains – the

Mauritian flying fox The Mauritian flying fox (''Pteropus niger''), also known as Greater Mascarene flying fox or Mauritius fruit bat is a large megabat species endemic to Mauritius and La Réunion. Description The Mauritian flying fox can reach a wingspan of 80&nb ...

. Two insectivorous microbats also remain. A number of mammals have been introduced either accidentally or intentionally, including rats, mice,

tenrec A tenrec is any species of mammal within the afrotherian family Tenrecidae endemic to Madagascar. Tenrecs are wildly diverse; as a result of convergent evolution some resemble hedgehogs, shrews, opossums, rats, and mice. They occupy aquatic, a ...

mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...

rusa deer The Javan rusa or Sunda sambar (''Rusa timorensis'') is a deer native to Indonesia and East Timor. Introduced populations exist in a wide variety of locations in the Southern Hemisphere. Taxonomy Seven subspecies of the Javan rusa are recognis ...

and crab-eating macaques as well as

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

such as domestic

ruminants Ruminants (suborder Ruminantia) are hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The ...

and

pigs The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

. 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.

Bats

The government introduced a law that authorised the shooting 18,000 Mauritian fruit bats (

Mauritian Flying Fox The Mauritian flying fox (''Pteropus niger''), also known as Greater Mascarene flying fox or Mauritius fruit bat is a large megabat species endemic to Mauritius and La Réunion. Description The Mauritian flying fox can reach a wingspan of 80&nb ...

) on 7 November 2015, despite protests and even though the species is protected and listed as vulnerable by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of nat ...

(IUCN). According to the IUCN, the high level of damage to commercial fruit that it is widely claimed to be caused by the fruit bats is not supported by the results of the research. By July 2018 the IUCN again listed the fruit bat as Endangered following the previous years’ culls by the government. Despite this status, October 2018, saw the authorisation of the cull of 20% of the fruit bat population, amounting to 13,000 of the estimated 65,000 fruit bats remaining

Birds

Over 100 species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

have been recorded in Mauritius. There are seven or eight surviving endemic species on the main island depending on taxonomy. The

Mauritius grey white-eye The Mauritius grey white-eye (''Zosterops mauritianus'') is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is one of two white-eye species endemic to the island of Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian ...

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 the Black River Gorges National Park in the south-west of the island. The

Mauritius Kestrel The Mauritius kestrel (''Falco punctatus'') is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the southwestern plateau's forests, cliffs, and ravines. It is the most distinct of the In ...

Mauritius Parakeet The echo parakeet (''Psittacula eques'') is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activ ...

and

Pink Pigeon The pink pigeon (''Nesoenas mayeri'') is a species of pigeon in the family Columbidae endemic to Mauritius. The pink pigeon nearly became extinct in the 1970s and the 1990s and is still very rare. It is the only Mascarene pigeon that has not beco ...

all came close to extinction but are now increasing thanks to intensive conservation efforts. Rodrigues has two further endemic species, the Rodrigues Warbler and Rodrigues Fody. 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. St Brandon islands are home to vast numbers of seabirds (Feare, 1984; Gardiner, 1907; Strauss in litt., 9.7.84). Staub and Gueho (1968) found a total of 26 species. Blue-faced Boobies Sula dactylatra melanops are found on Serpent Island and Ile du Nord. Large populations of Sooty Terns Sterna fuscata and White Terns Gygis alba occur on Albatros, St 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 a Marine Protected Area by the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

, has been identified as an 'Important Bird Area' in Africa by BirdLife International, as a Marine Important Bird Area under the Nairobi Convention, and a Key Biodiversity Area by the CEPF. 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 a Marine 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. A wide variety of birds have been introduced into Mauritius. These include some of the most common and conspicuous birds of the islands including the common myna, red fody,

red-whiskered bulbul The red-whiskered bulbul (''Pycnonotus jocosus''), or crested bulbul, is a passerine bird native to Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical are ...

and

zebra dove The zebra dove (''Geopelia striata''), also known as the barred ground dove, or barred dove, is a species of bird of the dove family, Columbidae, native to Southeast Asia. They are small birds with a long tail, predominantly brownish-grey in col ...

. 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.

Reptiles

A number of endemic reptiles are found in Mauritius, particularly on Round Island. These include day geckos (''

Phelsuma ''Phelsuma'' is a large genus of geckos in the family Gekkonidae. Species in the genus ''Phelsuma'' are commonly referred to as day geckos. Some day geckos are seriously endangered and some are common, but all ''Phelsuma'' species are CITES App ...

''), night geckos (''

Nactus ''Nactus'' is a genus of geckos, lizards in the family Gekkonidae. The genus is endemic to Oceania."''Nactus'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Species The following 35 species are recognized as being valid, and some species ...

''), skinks and the keel-scaled boa. Several species of

Giant Tortoise Giant tortoises are any of several species of various large land tortoises, which include a number of extinct species, as well as two extant species with multiple subspecies formerly common on the islands of the western Indian Ocean and on the ...

of the genus '' Cylindraspis'' formerly inhabited the island but are now extinct. As the largest terrestrial herbivores they performed an important role in the natural Mauritian ecosystem and in the regeneration of the Mauritian forests. For this reason, the Seychelles'

Aldabra giant tortoise The Aldabra giant tortoise (''Aldabrachelys gigantea'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. It is one of the largest tortoises in the world.Pritch ...

has been introduced to the Pamplemousses gardens and various patches of remaining Mauritian indigenous forest.

Freshwater fauna

In the 1950s,

guppies The guppy (), also known as millionfish and rainbow fish, is one of the world's most widely distributed tropical fish and one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species. It is a member of the family Poeciliidae and, like almost all ...

locally known as ''millions'' abounded in Mauritian rivers. These little fish, often found in brackish water, appear to be outnumbered nowadays by

swordtails ''Xiphophorus'' is a genus of euryhaline and freshwater fishes in the family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes, native to Mexico and northern Central America. The many ''Xiphophorus'' species are all known as platyfish (or platies) and ...

, introduced in the 1960s. Bigger fish like the carp and the

gourami Gouramis, or gouramies , are a group of freshwater anabantiform fishes that comprise the family Osphronemidae. The fish are native to Asia—from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia and northeasterly towards Korea. The name "gourami", of ...

have also dwindled after the introduction of the

tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most ...

in the 1950s. A popular freshwater fish used to be the ''damecéré'', (known as ''carpe de Maillard'' in French) introduced by Monsieur ''Céré'', an administrator of ''Pamplemousses 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 the

Port-Louis Port Louis (french: Port-Louis; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Polwi or , ) is the capital city of Mauritius. It is mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's e ...

Central Market and by street vendors. Recently the ''berri rouge'' 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. The

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...

is also a newcomer, and has most probably been dumped into local waters by aquarists. These fish are proving to be a nuisance and are disturbing the ecosystem of Mauritian rivers. All the above fish have been introduced. Indigenous fish are few, and one of them is the

goby Goby is a common name for many species of small to medium sized ray-finned fish, normally with large heads and tapered bodies, which are found in marine, brackish and freshwater environments. Traditionally most of the species called gobies have b ...

, locally known as the ''cabot''. 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. Locally known as ''bichiques'', 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.) A fish that can live both in sea and fresh water is the

milkfish The milkfish (''Chanos chanos'') is the sole living species in the family Chanidae. However, there are at least five extinct genera from the Cretaceous. The repeating scientific name ( tautonym) is from Greek ( ‘mouth’). The species has man ...

. Known locally as ''loubine'', 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. 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.' The mullet 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 the silver moonfish, which can also be fished along rivers, notably the Grand River North West. Another indigenous dweller of Mauritian rivers and lakes is the

eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

. 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 from

, Réunion,

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...

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 the marbled eel. Eels can grow quite big, if they cannot find a way to go back to the sea. This perhaps explains why some very big eels have been caught in Mauritius, notably at ''La Ferme'' reservoir. In Rodrigues an eel of more than 2 metres long was caught in a spring, in the heart of a forest, at Cascade-Pigeon. 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 Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

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 the ''chevrette grand bras''. 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 the ''crevette chevaquine''. It prefers to live near estuaries. Dakuma

Crayfish are also found in many rivers, especially those that are swift running and well oxygenated. A crayfish, locally known as the ''bétangue'', is endemic to Mauritius. It is easily recognized by its pincers, one being much bigger than the other. It is of a brownish-orange colour and can reach a size of . It has nocturnal habits and is becoming very rare. Another variety is the ''chevrette sonz''. It is of a smaller size and has thin pincers. A third variety is the ''camaron''. It is light-blue and the male is longer than the female, although the latter is of a bigger girth. Its size can sometimes exceed (pincers included). After hatching, the larvae of most crayfish go to live in the sea, and swim back to the river when they reach adult stage. This migration is often done against fast moving currents, and crayfish have been observed to climb waterfalls by clinging on rocks. 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 the

Moka District Moka () is a district of Mauritius, situated in the central plateau of the island. The district has an area of 230.5 km2 and the population estimate was at 83,664 as at the end of 2019. History Places of interest bagatelle mall, Places The M ...

about a century ago; these reptiles are considered to be aggressive and are fast invading other rivers of the island.

Marine life

Butterflies

About 39 butterfly species are known from Mauritius and Rodrigues. Seven of these are

Molluscs

Flora

Diospyros revaughanii ebony - MonVert Arboretum 5

Indigenous flora

Over 700 native species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

are found in Mauritius and nearly half of these (246) are

. Rainforest formerly covered most of the island with

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

savannah in drier regions and areas of

heathland A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

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 vert (''

Sideroxylon cinereum ''Sideroxylon'' is a genus of trees in the family Sapotaceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753. They are collectively known as bully trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek words σιδηρος (''sideros''), meaning " iron ...

''), manglier rouge (''

Sideroxylon puberulum ''Sideroxylon puberulum'', or manglier rouge, is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae. It is endemic to Mauritius. Description It produces dense, elegant whorls of leaves, which are thick, leathery, elliptical and covered in reddish bro ...

''), Ox tree (''

Polyscias maraisiana ''Polyscias maraisiana'' is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae, formerly named ''Gastonia mauritiana''. It is endemic to Mauritius, where it was formerly common on forest verges and also in coastal areas. It was formerly grown as an orn ...

''), Bois de Natte (''

Labourdonnaisia ''Labourdonnaisia'' is a genus of plants in the family Sapotaceae found in tropical Asia, described as a genus in 1841. ''Labourdonnaisia'' is native to certain islands in the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion). The genus is named ...

'' species) and a range of other indigenous and endemic tree species. The palm species that are indigenous to the island of Mauritius are '' Acanthophoenix rubra'' (possibly other species), '' Dictyosperma album (var. album & conjugatum)'', '' Hyophorbe amaricaulis'', '' Hyophorbe lagenicaulis'', '' Hyophorbe vaughanii'', '' Latania loddigesii'' and '' Tectiphiala ferox''. Mauritius is the home of a large number of endemic species of '' Pandanus'' (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 prostratus'' ("Vacoas conique") is a species of plant in the family Pandanaceae, endemic to Mauritius. Description A low (3-4m) branching tree, with slender, upturned branches that form a canopy. The trunk is first prostrate but beco ...

'', '' Pandanus pseudomontanus'', '' Pandanus pyramidalis'', '' Pandanus rigidifolius'', '' Pandanus sphaeroides'', '' Pandanus spathulatus'', '' Pandanus vandermeeschii'' and '' Pandanus wiehei''. The common "Vacoas Sac" (''

Pandanus utilis ''Pandanus utilis'', the common screwpine is, despite its name, a monocot and not a pine. It is native to Madagascar and naturalised in Mauritius and the Seychelles. Description The trunk features aerial prop roots. The leaves are linear and spi ...

'') of

has also been introduced and propagated in Mauritius, and it has now naturalised. The national flower of Mauritius is ''

Trochetia boutoniana ''Trochetia boutoniana'' also known by its native Creole name boucle d'oreille is a shrub from the genus '' Trochetia'' endemic to Mauritius. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the AP ...

'' or "boucle d'oreille" which is now restricted to a single mountain.

Introduced and invasive plants

Introduced plants that have become invasive include "Chinese" (actually Brazilian) guava ('' Psidium littorale''), Travellers Trees ('' Ravenala'') and ''

Lantana camara ''Lantana camara'' (common lantana) is a species of flowering plant within the verbena family ( Verbenaceae), native to the American tropics. It is a very adaptable species, which can inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems; once it has been introdu ...

''. 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 ''Bougainvillea glabra'', the lesser bougainvillea or paperflower, is the most common species of bougainvillea used for bonsai. The epithet 'glabra' comes from Latin and means "bald". Description It is an evergreen, climbing shrub with thick ...

'') and

frangipani ''Plumeria'' (), known as frangipani, is a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Rauvolfioideae, of the family Apocynaceae. Most species are deciduous shrubs or small trees. The species variously are endemic to Mexico, Central America, and ...

('' Plumeria alba'') are still among the most commonly planted ornamental species. However, for urban and roadside landscaping Mauritius is beginning to turn to their many varied and unique endemic plant species. Many endemic species, such as Bottle Palms and Ox tree, are now being used as ornamentals for both public landscaping and in private gardens across Mauritius.

Conservation

Conservation work in Mauritius is carried out by the Forestry Service, National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS) and by non-governmental organizations such as the

Mauritian Wildlife Foundation The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit conservation agency working in Mauritius to save threatened endemic local flora and fauna. History The Mauritian Wildlife Appeal Fund was established in 19 ...

(MWF) and

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is a conservation organization with a mission to save species from extinction. Gerald Durrell founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust as a charitable institution in 1963 with the dodo as its symbol. T ...

(DWCT). Efforts to preserve native flora and fauna have included captive 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 of land and another is protected by nature reserves such as Round Island and Île aux Aigrettes.

National Parks

* Black River Gorges National Park (also part of a greater

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

which includes the

Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary The Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary is an animal sanctuary founded in 1984, in Western Mauritius. It is an area closed off to the public, in the Black River Gorge region, which is densely forested, and is used for breeding rare, endemi ...

) * Bras d'Eau National Park * Islets National Park

Mainland Nature Reserves

* Macchabée-Bel Ombre Nature Reserve, the largest reserve (3,611 ha), formed from six constituent reserves in 1980. * Corps de Garde Nature Reserve * Le Pouce Nature Reserve * Perrier Nature Reserve * Bois Sec Nature Reserve * Gouly Pere Nature Reserve * Cabinet Nature Reserve * Les Mares Nature Reserve * Grande Montagne Nature Reserve, Rodrigues (20 ha) * Anse Quitor Nature Reserve, Rodrigues (34 ha)

Offshore Islets Nature Reserves

* Ile aux Aigrettes Nature Reserve * Ile Plate (Flat Island) Nature Reserve * Ile Ronde (Round Island) Nature Reserve * Ilot Gabriel Nature Reserve * Coin de Mire (Gunner's Quoin) Nature Reserve * Ilot Marianne Nature Reserve * Ile aux Serpents Nature Reserve * Ile aux Cocos Nature Reserve, Rodrigues (14 ha) * Ile aux Sables Nature Reserve, Rodrigues (8 ha)

Botanical gardens

* Pamplemousses Botanical Garden *

Monvert Nature Park Monvert Nature Park is a nature walk, arboretum, botanical gardens and rehabilitated indigenous forest, situated in Forest Side, Curepipe, Mauritius. History The area of Monvert was named after Chevallier Antoine de Monvert, and was previously ...

* Vallée d'Osterlog Botanical Garden *

Curepipe Botanic Gardens Curepipe Botanic Gardens (or SSR Botanical Garden of Curepipe) in Route des Jardins, Curepipe, is the second largest botanical garden in Mauritius. It has a relatively informal layout, and contains a river, lake and the world's rarest palm tree am ...

Other protected areas

* Ebony Forest Chamarel * François Leguat Giant Tortoise and Cave Reserve, Rodrigues * Vallee de Ferney Conservation Trust * St Brandon