The Dodo - gone but not forgotten
Casamara
John & Susan Simpson
Sat 1 Nov 2025 10:56
| For an extinct species, the flightless Dodo bird is remarkably well-known. The Dodo was endemic to the island of Mauritius but between 1598, when it was first spotted by Dutch sailors, and after 1662 when it was last seen, it disappeared. In the 1680’s its absence was noted and it attained such a mythical status that, two hundred years later, Lewis Carroll included the bird as a character in 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. He apparently did so because he had a stammer and was prone to introducing himself as Do-do-dodgson (Charles Dodgson being his real name). The Dodo acquired a reputation for being slow and a bit stupid because it was wiped out so quickly but in reality very little is actually known about its demise. However, we may soon know more, as a team of scientists is working on reviving the species through genetical engineering. Whatever the outcome of that research, the Dodo may be gone but it is definitely not forgotten on the island of Mauritius. From T-shirts to fridge magnets, cuddly toys to ‘Lazy Dodo’ rum, the Dodo’s cuddly form, chunky beak and quizzical look adorn a whole range of merchandise. Our very own Dodo, courtesy of the Mauritius tourism office Mauritius was a welcome restful stopover after two weeks at sea and we made the most of the area around the Le Caudan waterfront in Port Louis. John and I ventured further afield on a hired motorbike (a Royal Enfield 650) and visited the Sugar Beach Resort for a fabulous lunch in their beach side restaurant. We looked a little incongruous as we arrived on the beach in our motorbike leathers, and the fierce security lady on the gate wasn’t too sure we should be allowed in, but it was well worth the visit. John on his Royal Enfield! Sugar Beach Resort, Mauritius The World ARC had put together a tour for us all to see some of the attractions on the island so we visited Chateau de Labourdonnais, a Victorian sugar cane plantation, the L’Aventure du Sucre museum (you’ve guessed it - about sugar cane) and the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, which is the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere. Unsurprisingly, the main export from Mauritius is sugar and we sampled it in its many forms, particularly the rum! Chateau Labourdonnais Avenue of palms at the SSR Botanical Garden Mauritius was an interesting mix of cultures. The treaty which ceded the island from French to British control in 1810 included a clause that ensured the local people kept the French language and culture, but between 1834 and 1920 nearly half a million indentured labourers arrived from India to work in the sugar plantations so the local cuisine is heavily influenced by India - think curried beouf bourguignon! The World ARC rally fleet departed from Mauritius for one of the shortest legs in the circumnavigation, the 140 miles journey west to La Reunion. Unlike Mauritius, which gained its independence from British rule in 1968, La Reunion is a full department of France and the furthest outpost of the European Union. Both islands are now amongst the most densely populated in the world and the Dodo is not the only endemic creature to have suffered from human invasion. Five species of giant tortoise once lived here too, all now extinct but nowhere near as famous as the Dodo! The tortoise obviously doesn’t look quite so good on the merchandise! |