Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Mauritius kestrels were the rarest birds in the world in 1970; only four kestrels survived loss of habitat by deforestation. Captive breeding programs and habitat restoration at nature reserves like Macchabee-Bel Ombre, a category 1 United Nations List of National Parks and Protected Area, increased numbers to more than 350. Mauritius kestrels are small birds of prey with short wings, long legs and tails, which are only found on Mauritius. Mature birds have yellow faces, golden-brown and black speckled upper plumage, and white and brown lower feathers. Birds younger than 1 year have lighter upper feathers and blue-gray faces. The females and males of this species are alike in plumage, but the males are smaller in size.
The Mauritius pink pigeon is a medium-sized bird with very tame disposition. It has pink-white plumage and brown wing feathers with a yellow bill, yellow eyes and red legs. Hurricanes that destroy nests, and attacks by enemies such as the local mongoose, decimated pink pigeons. An ongoing captive breeding program started in the 1980s increased the population to more than 250.
This exotic and rare hibiscus is an ornamental evergreen shrub with dark green, glossy leaves and pink-red flowers with bright yellow stamens. Fewer than 50 plants exist in their natural habitat in areas such as the Corps de Garde and Le Morne Brabant Mountains. Hybridization and competition from imported plants have threatened the native flowers. Of more than 700 varieties of plants on Mauritius, only 311 species are indigenous to the island. The hundreds of newcomers threaten native plants. Although numbers of the mandrinette in the wild are still decreasing, it grows easily, and efforts by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources nursery to propagate the species have met with success.
The barbel is a large, hardy palm bearing leaves that grow up to 3 meters long. It has bunches of small cream flowers that hang from a stalk, and fleshy fruits 1 centimeter long, containing only one seed. Young plants exhibit bright red leaf sheaves with long, sharp spines. Mature plants produce about 10 leaves. They lose the spines and the leaf sheaves turn brown. Harvesting of the delicacy known as palm hearts (new shoots and the top part of the stem) and clearing of land for sugar cane production has reduced numbers to the point of near extinction. The Office National des Forêts on nearby Réunion Island are working to re-establish the wild population of Barbel palms.