Everyone who visits the beautiful island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean inevitably comes across the sad story of the dodo – a flightless bird endemic to this island. Dodo went extinct in the late 17th century, most likely around 1681, making it one of the most famous examples of human-caused extinction. As we know today, there are several key reasons behind dodo extinction, all connected with the presence of humans on the island.
For many centuries, Mauritius was a paradise for the birds and animals living there. In particular, dodos thrived in environments without predators. But in the late 16th century, the first explorers came to the island. They changed the delicate balance, leading to the extinction of dodos and other species. Back then, people were not concerned about species going extinct, so the dodo quietly disappeared from the Earth.
Some years ago, people living in Mauritius were unaware that such creatures even existed. Only after scientists did some research and found bones of these animals, did everyone believe that dodos were not just a figment of imagination- they actually used to live on Earth.
Key Facts About Dodos
Appearance
The dodo stood roughly one meter (about 3 feet) tall and weighed somewhere between 10 and 18 kilograms (22–40 lbs). It had a stout, rounded body covered in greyish-brown plumage, with small, vestigial wings that were completely useless for flight — the result of evolving in an environment with no natural predators. Its most distinctive feature was its large, hooked beak, which was yellowish and could reach 23 cm. It had a tuft of curly feathers at its tail, short yellow legs, and a somewhat bare face around the beak.
Diet
The dodo was omnivorous but primarily herbivorous. It fed on fallen fruits, seeds, nuts, roots, and bulbs found on the forest floor. Some accounts suggest it may also have eaten crabs, shellfish, and other small creatures. The Calvaria tree of Mauritius has even been linked to the dodo — a hypothesis (though debated) holds that the tree’s seeds require passage through the dodo’s digestive system to germinate, meaning the bird’s extinction may have affected the tree’s reproduction as well.
Habitat
The dodo lived exclusively in Mauritius. It inhabited the island’s coastal forests and woodlands, nesting on the ground because it is unable to fly. Because Mauritius had no land predators before human arrival, the dodo lacked an instinctive fear of humans or other animals, making it extraordinarily easy to hunt and directly contributing to its rapid extinction after Dutch sailors arrived in the late 16th century.
Four main reasons behind the dodo extinction
Excessive hunting
One of the main reasons behind the dodo extinction is excessive hunting. Voyagers who came to Mauritius on ships from Portugal, Holland, and other faraway countries were in great need of food after a long journey. Dodos were easy prey for them, as they had not seen humans before and were not afraid. They also did not seem good at defending themselves.
Although dodo’s meat was reportedly not very tender and overall did not taste good, the people still hunted them for lack of a better alternative. Dodos were quite large, and several birds were enough to feed many hungry people. According to one account, two dodos were more than enough for the whole crew to eat at one sitting.
Interestingly, the Dutch originally called dodos Walghvogels. In translation, this means the bird that does not taste good and makes one vomit after eating it. Despite the terrible taste, the voyagers kept catching and eating dodos!
Introduction of rats (unintentional)
Another important reason behind the dodo extinction is the introduction of rats. Ships that docked in Mauritius brought not only many people but also many rats. Thousands of rats were usually trapped on the ships. They could hardly wait to get off and run around the island looking for food. These animals were not present in the Mauritius ecosystem before, so they brought unique challenges for the dodos. Rats turned out to be a major enemy of dodos because they ate their eggs, contributing to their extinction.
Introduction of monkeys and pigs (intentional)
One more reason behind dodo extinction is the introduction of monkeys and pigs. At one point, foreign settlers introduced monkeys and pigs to the island. These were new animals for Mauritius, and they turned out to be additional enemies for dodos. Especially pigs ate a lot of low-hanging fruit, which dodos were used to eating, and also fed on dodo eggs and small chicks. If dodos were able to fly, they could potentially reach food that was growing higher on trees and even fly to some new places. But sadly, they gave up flying many years ago, as it was not a necessary skill for them.
Deforestation
Finally, human presence on the island led to deforestation. This meant loss of habitat for dodos. Essentially, they were driven out of their own home, which had belonged to them before humans arrived. Incredibly, after just 400 years of human settlement, only 2 percent of Mauritius’s forests survive. This is incredibly low!
The Final Word
Altogether, these factors contributed to the extinction of dodos. After just one hundred years of human presence on Mauritius, the dodo went extinct. We only know about them through reports from various explorers. They took the time to describe the incredible fauna they found during their voyages.
If you visit Mauritius, try to learn the history of these amazing animals by visiting the Blue Penny Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and the Mare aux Songes. You can also buy a lot of arts and crafts with the image of a dodo.
