Mauritius
harbours approximately 900 species of plants of which 311 have
been identified as being endemic. Out of the 311 species, 113
are classified as endangered. 50 of the 113 species are threatened
which means that they are represented by less than 10 in the
wild.
Alien species (Flora and Fauna)
Several alien species are reported to have been introduced in
Mauritius and they are a direct threat to the endemic plants.
Some of the important ones are:
(a)
Chinese guava Psidium cattlelanum, perhaps the worst weed in
the Mauritian upland forest introduced in around 1750. Its fruits
are eaten by deer, pigs and monkeys which proved to be very
effective dispersal agents.
(b) Privet Ligustrum robustum var. Walkeri Privet has spread
rapidly in the moist upland and areas of Mauritius.
(c) Travelers palm Ravena, madagascariensis - Large areas of
travelers palm can be found by river banks and on hill sides
in humid areas.
(d) Vieille fille lantana camara - This species is found in
the drier forested areas.
A
large variety of wild fauna species was introduced by the settlers
including the macaque monkey, wild pig, brown rat, hedgehog,
hare, wild rabbit, Java deer, mongoose and Indian wolf snake.
Some of these alien species particularly the monkeys have caused
damage to the native flora and fauna.
Conventions related to Biodiversity
(a)
Convention of biological diversity: Mauritius was the first
country in the world to have ratified this convention on 1st
September, 1992.
(b) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora: Mauritius ratified this convention
on 28th April, 1975.
(c) Convention on wetlands of international importance especially
as waterfowl habitat also known as Ramsar convention on wetlands:
Mauritius ratified the convention on 30th September, 2001.
The
Black River Gorges National Park
This is the first National Park of Mauritius. It extends over
an area of 6,754 hectares which represents about 3.5% of the
island's area and is situated in the South West of the island.
It harbours more than 300 species of flowering plants and 9
species of endemic birds.
The main entrances to the park are:
.
From Curepipe/Vacoas or Grand Bassin through Pétrin,
. From Black River Royal Road (Trois Bras) through Visitor's
Centre in the Gorges,
. From Chemin Grenier via Bassin Blanc through Les Mares,
. From Case Noyale through Chamarel.
Contact
Points:
Head Office,
National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS), Réduit
Telephone No
: 464 4053, 464 4016 and 464 2993
Pétrin Section:
Telephone No : 507 0128
Fax No. : 465 1184
Rivulet Terre Rouge Estuary Bird Sanctuary:
The Rivulet Terre Rouge Estuary Bird Sanctuary was proclaimed
as a reserve on the 27th August, 1999 under the "Wildlife and
National Parks Act" of 1993.
It
has also been proclaimed a wetland site of international importance
by Ramsar Bureau. Rivulet Terre Rouge Estuary Bird Sanctuary
(RTRBS) is the largest estuarine delta in Mauritius covering
about 26 hectares and is an important ground and refuge for
migratory birds in Mauritius. Every year several hundreds of
birds migrate from the Northern Hemisphere as far as Siberia
to escape the rigorous winter months prevailing in the North
to come to take refuge in this sanctuary.
Mauritius
Nature 
