INSIDE MAURITIUS THE ART OF DISCOVERY 66 ocean sunfish, the giant leatherback sea turtle, and the skull of a sperm whale. “The museum collaborates with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation to renew and enrich its collection. Certain specimens are endangered or threatened,” explains Vikash Rupear, former curator and current manager, who is pleased with the lively atmosphere in the museum. “It’s a place of wonder and education, a reminder of how rich and fragile nature is. In its own way, the museum is helping to raise awareness of the environmental challenge facing our planet.” THE TEMPLE OF THE DODO Finally, the rare wonder of wonders, three dodo skeletons, under glass showcases. Extinct by the end of the seventeenth century, less than a hundred years after it was discovered, the “flightless bird”became the symbol of animal extinction. “The first reconstitution of a dodo was made in 1865 from bones discovered by George Clark, a school teacher in Mahébourg, and Harry Higginson, a young civil engineer working on the construction of the first Mauritian railway. Composite skeletons were then sold to various museums in Europe. It was not until 1904 that the Frenchman Louis Étienne Thirioux, who settled in Mauritius at the age of 24, exhumed from the peat marshes of Mare aux Songes the unique complete skeleton from one and the same bird, now exhibited in the museum”, says the director proudly. Research has revealed that the dodo descends from Asian pigeons. The species evolved geographically and over the years. For a long time, the Mascarene Islands, formed from undersea volcanoes, had no contact with the fauna of the continent. The dodo, like the rest of the endemic fauna and flora, adapted to this peaceful environment, and gradually, over millions of years, its wings shrank, and it lost its ability to fly. Vikash Rupear, director of the Natural History Museum, installed in the Mauritius Building, in the centre of Port Louis. Vikash Rupear, directeur du Musée d’Histoire naturelle, installé dans le Mauritius Building, au cœur de Port-Louis. REMEMBERING THE FUTURE Since 2005, thanks to international teams of scientists, the rich bone sanctuary of Mare aux Songes has revealed one of its secrets. We now know that the dodo was not as big as sketches of the time led us to believe. It probably weighed about 10 to 13 kilos. Similarly, the direct cause of its extinction is probably mainly due to the introduction of exotic preying species like rodents or dogs. In 2022, a team of biologists from Oxford University announced that they had fully deciphered the genome of a dodo. What is the next step? Cloning and reintroducing the dodo? “History has not said its final word. The museum is also outside here!” concludes the director, who nevertheless is concerned about the commercial trade of bones that is contributing to the loss of the Mauritian heritage. Premier musée ouvert à Maurice en 1842, grâce au legs à l’État de la collection du naturaliste Julien Desjardins, le Musée national d’Histoire naturelle détient la plus riche collection zoologique de l’océan Indien. Installé au rez-dechaussée d’une ancienne demeure coloniale (Institute Building), au terme de trois ans de rénovation, il ouvre grandes ses portes sur une collection restaurée et mise en valeur par une nouvelle scénographie.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NjMzMjI=