EGRET ISLAND

Located just a few hundred meters from the coast, this small 26-hectare limestone island was declared a Nature Reserve in 1965, to protect the last remaining patches of endemic coastal forest. It is home to rare species such as candlewood, ironwood and ebony, and serves as a sanctuary for endangered birds such as the pink pigeon. The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the country's endangered plants and animals, has been managing this complex ecosystem since 1985. Its aim is to restore and maintain the islet in its original state, so that it serves as a witness and living laboratory for the conservation of endemic species. The work involves the systematic elimination of invasive non-native plant and animal species, as well as reforestation with native species grown in nurseries on the island. The main threats are the Malagasy plum and, above all, the giant acacia, which proliferate like quackgrass. Wildlife's efforts have nevertheless paid off, with 95% of the island's vegetation now made up of primary forest, compared with 15% some fifty years ago. Feral cats, rats and tenrecs have also been eliminated. This has enabled the reintroduction of the endemic marsh pigeon, of which there are several hundred on the island. Endangered bird species such as the cook, the Mauritius cardinal and the wood cock have also been reintroduced... As elsewhere in Mauritius, the gradual and dramatic deforestation of Ile aux Aigrettes was the result of the presence of man. It began with the arrival of the Dutch in the ^16th century, continued during the French and English periods (clarification of space to build a hot oven in the ^18th century or to set up a military base during the Second World War - visible remains) and continued at independence (goats on the island), until the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation obtained the lease. Today, Ile aux Aigrettes is the only place in Mauritius where you can observe the type of coastal forest that originally grew there. You can also see Telfair lizards and giant Aldabra tortoises. The visit is all the more interesting and recommended, as its profits are entirely reinvested in conservation programs.