Natural history lovers, and fans of the weird and wonderful should head to the National History Museum in Port Louis, Mauritius to see the most complete dodo skeleton in the world.
Dodo bird
Mauritius was once home to the flightless Dodo bird. It became extinct in the 1680s, only 80 years after Europeans arrived on the island.
It’s thought that the Dodo was easy prey for the animals that were introduced by explorers – dogs, pigs, cats and rats.
Still today, very little is known about the Dodo. Mare aux Songes, in Mauritius, is the site of the most significant dodo bone findings in the world. In 2005, a team of Dutch-Mauritian researchers found many bones including a rare dodo beak. The findings are believed to be at least 2000 years old.
- Port Louis, capital of Mauritius
When you’re visiting the capital Port Louis, it’s also worth checking out:
- the Blue Penny Museum – home to one of the most famous, and rare, stamps in the world
- a day at the races – horse racing at Champ de Mars
And if you want to explore the beaches around the island, find out which ones made our list of the top 10 beaches in Mauritius.