Raphus Cacullatus

The Dodo bird, who hasn't heard of the dodo? This unique big bird who once lived on our very land is seen in books, museums, and even in animated movies such as Ice Age (2002). Scientifically known as the Raphus cucullatus, it lived hidden from the world for many years. None knew of his existence until the Dutch settled on the island. Unfortunately, soon after it made its first appearance in the world, it disappeared.

Now, in case you don't know what the Dodo is, take a look at this:

In this little clip, we can see that they led to their own extinction with their lack of... intelligence. But this film was made for entertainment and children, it is far from the truth. So let me tell you the story of the Dodo bird.

The strange fat birds

In the early 16th century, the Portuguese landed on Mauritius while making their way to East India. They used the island as a stopover for ships that were engaged in the spice trade. The Portuguese met with a big, strange bird that had long crooked beaks. Do not get me wrong, the Dodo was not really a pretty bird, but it was something the sailors had never seen before. The Dodo, of course, had never seen humans before either.

The Portuguese thought that the bird was quite stupid because; firstly, it could not fly. Secondly, it was not afraid of humans and hence was easily killed. As a matter of fact, the name “Dodo” comes from the Portuguese “doudo” meaning ‘simpleton.’ But if you think about it, the Dodos lived freely in the dense forest of Mauritius for years. There were no predators nor rivals to disturb them in their little paradise. They lived so comfortably that they lost their ability to fly. So when humans came, they did not see them as a threat.

In any case, the dodo bird was a source of fresh meat for the sailors and as a result, large numbers of dodo birds were killed.

"As dead as a dodo"

Skeleton of the Dodo bird in the National History Museum in Mahebourg, Mauritius.

When the Dutch came to the island, they too found the big bird. It was during their time that the bird went through extinction. They hunted it for sport and for food. They cut down trees and started building roads, houses, etc. Furthermore, they introduced new animals such as; pigs, monkeys, and deer that could easily prey on the eggs that rested on ground nests. But the worse thing that they did was bringing rats. Rats lived on their ships and when they anchored, the rats established themselves on the island and started to feed and multiply. Not only did they contribute to the Dodos extinction, but they were also one of the reasons why the Dutch abandoned the island. Quite the irony, right?

Within 100 years of the arrival of humans in Mauritius, the dodo bird became an endangered species. Records say that the last Dodo was killed in 1681, but who can be sure? Unfortunately, others suffered the same fate as the Dodo. Of the 45 bird species originally found in Mauritius, only 21 have been able to survive.

Today, the Dodo remains the icon of Mauritius. It is a pity that the bird disappeared without us being able to fully understand it.

Credits to the video: TM & © Fox (2002) Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation