Port Louis' Natural History Museum is well visited mainly for one single important exhibit: a replica of the flightless bird, the legendary dodo, which has been extinct since the end of the 17th century. Researchers believe the dodo was a member of the pigeon family, which weighed about 50 pounds (23kg) fully grown. The bird was found only on the island of Mauritius, and was discovered by the Portuguese explorers around 1505. The bird became extinct because of the predators such as dogs, pigs, rats and monkeys that were introduced to the island by European colonisation. Numerous other Mauritian bird species have also been driven to extinction, including two related to the dodo.

Address: Chaussée St

Telephone: +230 212 6912

Opening times: Monday to Sunday, 9am-5pm. Closed on Wednesdays.