The absence of man, the isolation of the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and  Reunion over millions of years have enabled a remarkable fauna and flora to  evolve there, undisturbed. This is often the case in remote and isolated islands.  The arrival of man and the ensuing colonisation have had tremendous impacts on  the native wildlife, most of it being driven into extinction or on the edge of  it.

Conservation

In 1976, the government set up a Captive Breeding Programme with the help of  international organisations like the Jersey Wild Life Preservation Trust and the  World Centre for Birds of Prey of the USA. The Pink Pigeon was the first bird to  be bred in captivity and from 1977 to 1991, up to 225 such birds have been bred  either in Mauritius or in Europe and the USA.

Things were much more difficult with the Kestrel and it is only in 1984 that  the breeding programme really became successful. From 1977 to 1991, 200 birds  have been bred using various techniques like double clutching of eggs in both  the wild and in captivity, artificial insemination and hand rearing of youngs  hatched in incubators.