Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
such as guava and privet, and have been depleted by introduced deer, pigs and monkeys.
General forest clearance and the establishment of crop monocultures have exacerbated the
problem, so that less than 1% of Mauritius' original forest is intact.
Mauritius' forests originally included the
tambalacoque
tree, which is also known as
the dodo tree and is not far from extinction itself. It's a tall tree with a silver trunk and a
large, tough seed that supposedly only germinates after being eaten by, and passing
through the stomach of, a dodo. Scientists are sceptical about this rumour, but there's no
denying the tree is extremely difficult to propagate. The easiest place to find this and other
rare plant species is in the botanical gardens at Pamplemousses.
For a tropical island, Mauritius is not big on coconut palms. Instead, casuarinas (also
known as
filaos
) fringe most of the beaches. These tall, wispy trees act as useful wind-
breaks and grow well in sandy soil. The government planted them along the shores to help
stop erosion; eucalyptus trees have been widely planted for the same reason.
Other impressive and highly visible trees are the giant Indian banyan and the brilliant
red flowering flamboyant (royal poinciana).
Staying with shades of red, one flower you will see in abundance is anthurium, with its
single, glossy petal and protruding yellow spadix. The plant originated in South America
and was introduced to Mauritius in the late 19th century. The flower, which at first sight
you'd swear was plastic, can last up to three weeks after being cut and is therefore a popu-
lar display plant. Now grown in commercial quantities for export, it is used to spruce up
hotels and public meeting places.
Mangroves are enjoying a renaissance in Mauritius today. Originally cut down to re-
duce swamp areas where malarial mosquitos could breed, they've been discovered to be
an important part of the food chain for tropical fish, and thus large projects to develop
mangrove areas have been undertaken, particularly on the east coast.
National Parks
Since 1988, several international organisations have been working with the government to
set up conservation areas in Mauritius. About 3.5% of the land area is now protected
either as national parks, managed mainly for ecosystem preservation and for recreation, or
as nature reserves.
The largest park is the Black River Gorges National Park, established in 1994 in the
southwest of the island. It covers some 68 sq km and preserves a wide variety of forest en-
