The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) is a non-governmental, non-profit conservation agency working in Mauritius to save threatened endemic local flora and fauna.
The Mauritian Wildlife Appeal Fund was established in 1984 under the initiative of naturalist Gerald Durrell and the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust principally to raise funds for the conservation of endemic Mauritius wildlife. The conservation work in Mauritius began as a species orientated program concentrating on a few critically endangered species, including the Mauritius Kestrel and the Pink Pigeon. The initiation of the conservation program in 1976 was popularized by Gerald Durrell in his book Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons.
In 1996, the organization expanded its operations to habitat restoration, including the management of native forests and small islands. The evolution of MWF from a funding and administration organization to that of a hands-on conservation agency was reflected in the new name adopted that year, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation.
The Foundation is now perfecting whole ecosystem management and restoration, which includes predator and pest (weed) control. It also has captive breeding programs for animals, and endemic plant nurseries. This work is being done at Brise Fer in the Black River Gorges National Park, and on the islands of Ile aux Aigrettes, Round Island, and Rodrigues Island.
In 1998, MWF expanded its activities into two new fields: ecotourism on Ile aux Aigrettes and an Environmental Education programme in Rodrigues.
The MWF is currently working to conserve the following species:
- Pink Pigeon
- Mauritius Kestrel
- Echo Parakeet
- Rodrigues Fruit Bat
- Mauritius Fody
- Mauritius Cuckoo-shrike
- Mauritius Bulbul
- Mauritius Paradise Flycatcher
- Mauritius Olive White-eye
- Day gecko species of the genus Phelsuma
- Night geckos species of the genus Nactus
- Round Island boa
- Telfair's Skink
- Bojer's Skink
- Macchabe Skink
- Bouton Skink
See also: Gerald Durrell, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Wildlife Trust (US), Wildlife Preservation Canada
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