The Dodo: The Extinct Bird That Became a Symbol of Mauritius

The dodo is the most famous extinct animal in the world, and it lived only in Mauritius. Today it is the island’s national emblem, shown on the coat of arms and on souvenirs everywhere. Here is the story of the bird, and where you can find traces of it.

The bird

The dodo was a large, flightless bird, related to pigeons. It lived on the ground, had no natural enemies and nested in forests. When Dutch sailors arrived in the late 16th century, the bird was unafraid of people.

Why did it disappear?

Sailors hunted dodos, and the animals they introduced, such as pigs, rats and monkeys, ate their eggs. Forest clearing also destroyed their habitat. By the end of the 1600s, the dodo was gone, less than a century after it was first described.

Where to find the dodo today

• Museums: the Natural History Museum in Port Louis and other museums display dodo remains and models. See our museum guide.
• The coat of arms: the dodo appears as one of the supporters, along with a deer.
• Souvenirs: dodo toys, magnets and art are sold across the island.
• Mare aux Songes: the marsh near Vieux Grand Port in the south-east where dodo bones were found in the 19th century.

A lesson for conservation

The dodo’s story has inspired conservation work on the island. Programmes protect rare birds such as the pink pigeon and Mauritius kestrel, which you can see in the Black River Gorges.

What scientists know

For a long time the dodo was known only from drawings and a few bones. Later discoveries of bones in the Mare aux Songes marsh, in the south-east, helped scientists learn much more about the bird. Studies suggest the dodo was related to pigeons, stood around a metre tall and was probably slimmer and more active than the fat birds in old paintings.

Other extinct species

The dodo was not the only loss. Mauritius also lost giant tortoises, a large parrot and several other birds after humans arrived. Today, conservation groups protect the species that survived, such as the pink pigeon and the Mauritius kestrel.

Dodo souvenirs

The dodo appears on everything from coins and stamps to T-shirts and wooden carvings. Look for locally made crafts in markets and craft shops for a more authentic souvenir.

Book it with Plan Mauritius

These experiences can be booked through us, with transfers added if you need them:

• Black River Gorges National Park – Black River Gorges, home of rare surviving birds

Frequently asked questions