Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
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, endemic
Mauritian species. Even though it is not open to the public, it is the facility most resembling a zoo on the island. Among the endangered species in the sanctuary is the Mauritius Kestrel
, once the rarest bird in the world with only 4 members left. It has been successfully bred and the population has now reached the capacity of Mauritius.
The sanctuary is named after the famous naturalist
Gerald Durrell
, who has been associated with Mauritius' conservation movement from its very inception in the 1970s, and who adopted the logo of the extinct Mauritian bird Dodo
for his Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
).
The sanctuary is run jointly by the National Parks and Conservation Service and Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
, with the help of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
Animal sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives. Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead maintaining each animal until his or her natural death...
founded in 1984, in Western Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. 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, endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
Mauritian species. Even though it is not open to the public, it is the facility most resembling a zoo on the island. Among the endangered species in the sanctuary is the Mauritius Kestrel
Indian Ocean kestrels
Isolated on various islands around the Indian Ocean, kestrel populations evolved into different species, like Darwin's finches. Behaviour remains similar to other small species of Falco except on forested Mauritius where kestrels hunt arboreally more like hawks...
, once the rarest bird in the world with only 4 members left. It has been successfully bred and the population has now reached the capacity of Mauritius.
The sanctuary is named after the famous naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
Gerald Durrell
Gerald Durrell
Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell, OBE was a naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author and television presenter...
, who has been associated with Mauritius' conservation movement from its very inception in the 1970s, and who adopted the logo of the extinct Mauritian bird Dodo
Dodo
The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Related to pigeons and doves, it stood about a meter tall, weighing about , living on fruit, and nesting on the ground....
for his Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is a conservation organisation 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...
).
The sanctuary is run jointly by the National Parks and Conservation Service and Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation is a non-governmental, non-profit conservation agency working in Mauritius to save threatened endemic local flora and fauna....
, with the help of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.