Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
endangered bird species and in conserving endemic vegetation. While you're welcome to
visit their office to get information it can be difficult to find. In any event, their website is
a useful resource, and they have staff who work in the vicinity of the Petrin Information
Centre and Black River Gorges Visitors Centre at the Black River Gorges National Park;
ask the national park staff at the centres to speak with one if you have a specific question.
And, of course, a visit to MWF-run Île aux Aigrettes is a highlight of any visit to the is-
land.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
BEST PLACES TO SEE...
While in Mauritius we spoke with Dr Vikash Tatayah, director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (
Click here
)
.
Where is the best place to see the Mauritian kestrel?
There are two main populations, with around 250 in
southeastern Mauritius and approximately 150 in the southwest. They are easiest to see during the breeding sea-
son, which in the southeast runs from August to February, and in the southwest from September to February.
Sightings are possible although difficult in Black River Gorges National Park. The places where you are most
likely to see them are all in the southeast: Vallée de Ferney (
Click here
)
, Lion Mountain (
Click here
) and, if it has
reopened, Kestrel Valley (
Click here
)
.
And the pink pigeon?
The pigeon is present throughout Black River Gorges National Park (
Click here
) and can
be seen close to the two visitors centres and elsewhere. But the best place is Île aux Aigrettes (
Click here
).
The echo parakeet?
Although the parakeets are present throughout the park, the easiest place to see them is
along Parakeet Trail in Black River Gorges National Park. They're also present in the hinterland of Bel Ombre in
the far south.
What about other important bird species?
Île aux Aigrettes is good for other endangered species such as the
elusive olive white eye and the Mauritian fody. All of the offshore islands are good for seabirds.
And giant tortoises?
The only free-ranging giant tortoises (apart from a population we've established on Round
Island which isn't open to the public) are on Île aux Aigrettes. Otherwise, the best places to see them are La
Vanille (
Click here
), close to Souillac in the south, and the outstanding François Leguat Reserve (
Click here
) on
Rodrigues.
What's next for Mauritian conservation?
Apart from building on our success in saving a number of en-
dangered species by ensuring their long-term survival, we have big plans for Vallée de Ferney - we're hoping to
reintroduce the pink pigeon and echo parakeet there. We also have a number of ecotourism projects that we're
hoping to develop on Mauritius and Rodrigues. People can check our website to see how these are progressing.
Apart from going to see the wildlife, how can individuals help?
We do accept volunteers but only for longer
periods of around six months. We also have a program of longer visits to Île aux Aigrettes, whereby people can
spend a whole day on the island and help out with weeding invasive species or helping out in the plant nursery.
They also get to spend time talking with some of our scientists and researchers working on the island. It is also
possible to adopt one of five endangered species (the Mauritian fody, olive white eye, pink pigeon, ornate day
gecko and giant tortoise) - for an annual fee of Rs 1000 you get a free visit to Île aux Aigrettes, information on
your chosen species and three MWF newsletters. Otherwise, people can always make a donation.
