Volkert Evertsz
Encyclopedia
Volkert Evertsz was a Dutch
mariner
who was shipwrecked on the island of Mauritius
and was the last human confirmed to have seen the dodo
alive in 1662. A survivor of the shipwreck Arnhem
, Evertsz and other party members waded ashore an islet off the coast of Mauritius in 1662 and found Dodos and other non-flying birds. Evertsz also noted that predatory animals that were on mainland Mauritius, such as pigs, cats and others were not present here—the only introduced animals were goats.
In 2004, a significant amount of research was conducted in trying to find the islet where this sighting was made. A report by Anthony Cheke for the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences of Mauritius, entitled "The Dodo’s last island—where did Volkert Evertsz meet the last wild Dodos?" documents the details of research.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
mariner
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
who was shipwrecked on the island of 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...
and was the last human confirmed to have seen the 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....
alive in 1662. A survivor of the shipwreck Arnhem
Arnhem (ship)
The Arnhem, named after the city of Arnhem in the Netherlands, was a Dutch East Indiaman that entered the Gulf of Carpentaria and recorded having sighted Groote Eylandt in 1623. The vessel was shipwrecked off Mauritius on 12 February 1662. Volkert Evertsz and other survivors of the wreck came...
, Evertsz and other party members waded ashore an islet off the coast of Mauritius in 1662 and found Dodos and other non-flying birds. Evertsz also noted that predatory animals that were on mainland Mauritius, such as pigs, cats and others were not present here—the only introduced animals were goats.
In 2004, a significant amount of research was conducted in trying to find the islet where this sighting was made. A report by Anthony Cheke for the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences of Mauritius, entitled "The Dodo’s last island—where did Volkert Evertsz meet the last wild Dodos?" documents the details of research.