Gawk At Dodo Skeletons In The Natural History Museum In Mauritius

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Port Louis' Natural History Museum is well visited mainly for one exhibit: a replica and skeleton of the legendary flightless bird, the Dodo. Founded in 1880, the museum is situated inside the Mauritius Institute Building, a National Heritage Site. The one-storey building is a partial copy of the Sri Lankan Colombo Museum.

In 2006, a Dodo skeleton was found accidentally by a team of biologists looking for cave cockroaches in the Mauritius highlands. The skeleton, nicknamed “Fred” after one of its discoverers was found at the bottom of a chamber inside the cave. It is thought that the Dodo was trying to escape a cyclone and found refuge in the cave. The fragile bones were carefully excavated by experts and transported to the local Museum of Natural History in Port Louis where visitors are able to view it today.

The Dodo, Raphus cucullatus, became extinct in the late 1600s after Europeans introduced predators such as rats and pigs who were easily able to raid the ground nests of the birds. The destruction of their natural habitat ensured the extinction of the Dodo as well as many other plant and animal species.

Situated next to the Jardin de la Compangnie, The Natural History Museum is the oldest museum in Mauritius. The museum contains three galleries, the first containing exhibits of birds, mammals and reptiles, the second focusing on marine life and the third devoted to geology, tortoise and insect exhibits.

Photography is prohibited inside this museum and admission to the museum is free.