Île aux Aigrettes

Île aux Aigrettes seen from the shore of the Mauritius mainland

Ile aux Aigrettes is an islet off the south-east coast of Mauritius. It functions as a nature reserve and a scientific research station.

It is also a popular visitors attraction - both for tourists and for Mauritians. ^[1]

Geography

It has an area of 27 ha and is the largest islet in the Grand Port bay, 850 meters off the south-east coast of Mauritius and roughly a kilometer from the coastal town of Mahebourg.

It is low-lying and is formed from coral-limestone (unlike the majority of Mauritius which is from volcanic rock).

Nature reserve and conservation

Mauritian Fody on Ile aux Aigrettes

Ile aux Aigrettes conserves the world's only remaining piece of "Mauritius Dry Coastal Forest" - a once plentiful vegetation type. It is therefore home to a large number of extremely rare or endangered species of plants and animals.

Over several hundred years, indigenous flora and fauna was devastated by logging and invasive species. In this sense, the islet shared the same fate as the rest of Mauritius. The Dodo and the indigenous species of giant tortoise became extinct; as did many species of plant.^[2]

Relicts of some species survived though, and in 1965 the island was declared a nature reserve. There followed intense work to restore the vegetation and the few remaining indigenous animal species. In addition, several other species which had disappeared from the island - but survived elsewhere in Mauritius - were reintroduced.^[3]

Reptile species include the large, slow Telfairs Skink, several species of ornately coloured day gecko, and a population of non-indigenous Aldabra giant tortoise, brought to Île aux Aigrettes to take over the important ecological role of the extinct Mauritian tortoises. The large tortoises eat & spread the plant seeds and thereby help the forest to rejuvenate naturally.^[4]

The rare, endemic ebony tree species, Diospyros egrettarum is named after this island, on which it is plentiful.

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  One of the local species of ebony, Diospyros egrettarum (named after the island)
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  Gastonia mauritiana ("Bois boeuf") forming part of the forest canopy
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  Pink Pigeon on Ile aux Aigrettes
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  Statue memorial to an extinct species of Mauritian giant tortoise, which stood unusually upright and erect to browse trees
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  A non-indigenous Aldabra giant tortoise, brought to Île aux Aigrettes to take over the ecological role of the extinct Mauritian tortoises
• 
  Statue memorial of the island's extinct Giant Skink

References

1. Ile aux Aigrettes website
2. Cheke, A.S. and Hume, J.P. The Lost Land of the Dodo. London: Academic Press.
3. MWF (2010) Ile aux Aigrettes - A Nature Reserve. Mauritius: MWF
4. Cole, N. (2009) A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Mauritius. Mauritius: MWF.

Coordinates: 20°25′12″S 57°43′59″E / 20.420°S 57.733°E