Mascarenes

Meet the Mascarenes team »

The Mascarenes are the main islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion and their many smaller islands and islets, found in the Western Indian Ocean. They serve as a historical reminder of the effects of human expansion on biodiversity. The legacy of eradicating native species and the introduction of alien species scarred these fragile islands in a way that will never fully be restored. However these islands also serve as a positive example of what conservation can and does achieve with long term dedication.

The Mascarene islands are located approximately 900 kilometres east of Madagascar and cover 2,040km2. The islands are volcanic in origin and are between 7 and 10 million years old. Their age and variation in topography led to the evolution of different forest types ranging from dense moist forest to palm savannah and scrub. Important plant groups include the native palms and ebony forests. However on all the islands these forests have been greatly degraded either through agriculture and plantations or through invasive species such as guava (Psidium guajava) and privet (Ligustrum robustum). On Réunion less than 40% of the native forest remains and on Mauritius only tiny pockets of native forest remain (less than 5%) primarily in the Black River Gorges National Park and on Ile aux Aigrettes.

Isolated for many millions of years and never connected to a mainland, each of the islands has evolved an extremely rich biodiversity with high levels of endemism. For example there are approximately 955 flowering plant species in the Mascarenes of which 695 are considered to be endemic. The majority of vertebrate species are either reptiles or birds which show high proportions of endemism and also comprise the islands’ most threatened species. There are very few amphibians and the only native mammals are the bats.

The impact of humans on the native species of all three islands has been extreme. The dodo is the best known example of 11 bird species on Mauritius, 100’s species of plant and almost half of Reunion’s bird fauna that were documented to have gone extinct at the hands of European settlers. There are 16 remaining endemic birds in the Mascarenes, including seven on Mauritius, four on Réunion, and two on Rodrigues. All of these species have been of major conservation concern and have been the targets of major conservation intervention for many years. Many of the endemic reptiles are isolated to the small islands off the coast of Mauritius and together with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and the National Parks and Conservation Service, Durrell has been working to restore populations of species such as Telfair’s skink (Leiolopisma telfairii), Guenther’s gecko (Phelsuma guentheri) and lesser night gecko (Nactus coindemirensis).

Durrell in the Mascarenes

Durrell has a long history in this region starting in the 1970s, with the first expeditions to Mauritius to save the endemic kestrel (Falco punctatus) and then moving onto such species as the pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri), echo parakeet (Psittacula eques) and Rodrigues fruitbat (Pteropus rodericensis).

To help achieve its aims, Durrell facilitated the establishment of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), which has now become the leading environmental NGO in Mauritius and the only one focusing upon the conservation of native species and ecosystems. Through collaboration with MWF and key international partners there have been many notable conservation successes such as the recovery of seven bird species, five reptiles, many plant species and the restoration of Round Island. These achievements continue today and Durrell is committed to the continuing conservation of Mauritius and its offshore islets.

Image copyrights: (listed from top to bottom)

• Main page image Leiolopisma telfairii, Round Island Credit Nik Cole
• Ile aux Aigrettes Credit Nik Cole
• Echo parakeet Credit James Morgan