Mauritius Wildlife Foundation

Mauritius Wildlife Foundation
Name	Mauritius Wildlife Foundation
Formation	1984
Type	Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Port Louis, Mauritius
Region served	Mauritius, Rodrigues, Île aux Aigrettes, Ile aux Phare, Rempart Mountain
Leader title	CEO

Mauritius Wildlife Foundation The Mauritius Wildlife Foundation is a conservation NGO founded in 1984 dedicated to the restoration of endemic Mauritian and Rodrigues biodiversity through species recovery, habitat restoration, ecological research and community engagement. Working across Île aux Aigrettes, Black River Gorges National Park, Ile aux Aigrettes, and offshore islets, the organization collaborates with institutions such as the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, IUCN, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, BirdLife International and government bodies like the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security and the Mauritius National Parks and Conservation Service. The foundation has led flagship programs to save species such as the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, Mauritian flying fox and Echo parakeet.

History

Established in 1984 following concern expressed by naturalists associated with Sir Peter Scott-linked initiatives and contacts with the Royal Society, the foundation grew from networks involving the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, World Wide Fund for Nature programmes in the Indian Ocean, and scientists from the University of Mauritius and University of Oxford. Early work responded to catastrophic declines exemplified by the near-extinction of the Pink pigeon and the collapse of the Mauritius kestrel population, mirroring earlier extinctions such as the dodo and echoing regional conservation crises like the loss of Aldabra rail. Over decades the foundation developed field stations on Île aux Aigrettes and partnered with agencies including the European Union and UNEP to secure habitat and implement captive-breeding, predator control and native-plant restoration. Its history intersects with notable campaigns by the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate era land-use changes, postcolonial environmental policy debates and international treaty frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Mission and Objectives

The foundation’s mission aligns with objectives promoted by the IUCN Red List and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora: to prevent species extinctions, restore native ecosystems, train conservationists and influence policy through evidence delivered to bodies like the United Nations Environment Programme and the African Union. Specific objectives include recovery of endemic species on islets such as Round Island, restoration of native forest dominated by genera like Sideroxylon and Eugenia, invasive-species control including management of Rattus rattus and Syzygium jambos removal, and capacity-building via links with the Mauritius Wildlife Appeal and regional training hosted with the Indian Ocean Commission.

Conservation Programs

Programs target flagship taxa and habitats: seabird restoration involving Audubon's shearwater and Sooty tern colonies, terrestrial bird recovery for species such as the Echo parakeet and the Mauritius fody, reptile and herpetofauna initiatives for Telfair's skink and endemic geckos, and plant programmes focused on endemic trees like Pandanus utilis and Eugenia vaughanii. Island restoration projects include invasive mammal eradications modeled on operations on Rodrigues and Round Island and habitat reconstruction referencing methods used on the Galápagos Islands and Aldabra Atoll. Marine-associated work links with studies on reef habitat degradation observed in the Mascarene Plateau and collaborates with marine NGOs such as the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation—partners include the Zoological Society of London and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre for species translocations, biosecurity and monitoring.

Research and Scientific Work

Research spans population genetics, demographic modeling, translocation outcomes and ecological interactions, drawing on partnerships with the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution. Studies have been published in journals following standards of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and contribute data to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Réseau de Recherche en Environnement. Research topics include nesting ecology of the Mauritius kestrel, disease surveillance in Pteropus niger populations, pollen dispersal in native plant species such as Scaevola taccada, and the efficacy of predator control techniques tested against models from the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

Education and Community Outreach

Education initiatives collaborate with the Ministry of Education (Mauritius), Mauritius Institute of Education, local schools in Port Louis, community groups in Mahébourg and youth programmes modeled on the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Outreach includes interpretive trails on Île aux Aigrettes, volunteer restoration days with diaspora groups from Réunion and Seychelles, and capacity-building for local rangers trained using curricula developed with the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology. Public campaigns leverage exhibitions at institutions such as the Blue Penny Museum and events tied to International Biodiversity Day.

Partnerships and Funding

The foundation works with multilateral funders including the European Commission, Global Environment Facility, bilateral donors like Department for International Development (UK) and conservation NGOs such as the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Zoological Society of London and Conservation International. Corporate partnerships have involved Mauritian private sector actors tied to the tourism and sugar industries as well as philanthropic donors linked to the Prince's Charities network. Research grants and collaborative projects are hosted with universities including University of Mauritius, University of Exeter and regional bodies like the Indian Ocean Commission.

Notable Projects and Successes

Prominent successes include the recovery of the Mauritius kestrel from single-digit survivors to stable populations, the reintroduction and population growth of the Echo parakeet, and the restoration of native forest on Île aux Aigrettes enabling the return of endemic plants like Dombeya mauritiana and invertebrates comparable to rediscoveries in the Mascarenes. The foundation’s eradication campaigns have reduced invasive predators on islets modeled after techniques used on Rodrigues and contributed to preventing further extinctions akin to historical losses such as the dodo. It has received recognition from international conservation networks including mentions in reports by the IUCN and collaborations highlighted by the United Nations Development Programme.

Category:Conservation organisations based in Mauritius Category:Environmental organizations established in 1984