The extinct Bird Dodo from Mauritius
The dodo is one of the most famous extinct animals. This flightless bird lived on the remote island of Mauritius and its nearby islets. When Dutch sailors arrived there in the early 1600s, they found an abundance of tasty dodo meat and fat as well as a species that was easy to catch. Within a few years, they had killed almost every dodo on the island, leaving only a few individuals that were able to hide from the hungry intruders. The last known individual – a male named “AdVENDee” (from “adventurer”) – died in captivity around 1690. This tragic story of human greed and carelessness led to the rise of conservationism as we know it today. In fact, if not for this episode we probably wouldn't have so many forests and parks around the world that are protected from human exploitation and destruction: all because some greedy sailors decided to have an easy meal!
What was the diet of the dodo?
It is not known for sure what the dodo’s natural diet was. It may have eaten fruits, seeds, and nuts, as other birds of the region did, but was also probably an opportunistic feeder that ate what it could find, including crabs, yams, and other smaller animals. Bones of turtles and other marine animals have been found at dodo nesting sites, so the dodo probably also ate fish and whatever else it could catch. Pending further research, we can only speculate as to what the dodo’s natural diet was.
Where did the dodo live?
The only place where dodos are known to have lived is the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius (an island nation about 900 miles off the southeast coast of Africa), as well as a few nearby islets that used to be part of a volcano.
Why were dodos made extinct?
The dodo was hunted to extinction (meaning no more individuals are left) for food by sailors who visited Mauritius in the 1600s. It took only several decades for the species to be completely wiped out, probably leading to the extinction of several other species that depended on dodo eggs or their habitat. In fact, the hunting of dodos and other animals on Mauritius was so intense that scientists think it led to a decline in the island’s plant growth. This decline may have caused the island’s environment to become less hospitable to humans. The drop in plant growth also meant there was less rain and less fresh water, which may have caused Mauritius’s population to decline.
Mauritius today
Today, Mauritius is a nation with a population of 1.3 million people. Its economy is based on tourism and textiles, but it also has significant deposits of copper and iron, which are mined. Mauritius also has a large fishing industry that harvests squid, fish, and crustaceans. The island itself has a mixture of tropical forests and savannas, as well as deserts in the southwest. Like many island nations, Mauritius is in danger from rising sea levels associated with climate change. Because it has a lot of beaches, the small island is also threatened by tourism and other human activities, which can harm its environment.
Final words
The dodo is one of the best-known extinct animals, and its story of greed and carelessness is the stuff of many a sad and somber tale. But it is also a perfect example of the fact that the extinction of species is not something that happens in some far-off and distant future – it is part of everyday life. So, next time you hear the word “dodo”, remember that it is not just some long-forgotten creature that lived in a different era: it is a species that we killed off because we had no respect or care for the world around us.