Located a few steps from the Jardin de la Compagnie, the Natural History Museum is home to a wealth of knowledge about the fauna and flora of the island.  It has over 35000 natural historical and geological specimens, of which 3000 are exhibited.  A guided tour...   

The Natural History Museum is the oldest museum on the island.  The old building, adjacent to the Jardin de la Compagnie in Port Louis, was established by the Natural History Company of Mauritius (now known as the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences) and was first opened to the public in October 1842 in a wing of the former Royal College in Port Louis.  Everyday enthusiasts and inquisitive people rush here to see the rich animal and vegetal species of the island.      

The Natural History Museum was declared as a national museum in 2000.  It houses over 35000 natural historical and geological specimens, of which 3000 are exhibited in the three permanent galleries on the ground floor of the Mauritius Institute.  But one of the halls is currently inaccessible due to renovation work.  

As soon as one enters the museum, one will be surprised to see animals from the seabed hanging from the ceiling.  A huge whale floats peacefully in the air, a few metres from a threatening shark.  Accompanied by her parents, a fearful girl refuses to get any closer.  "It happens all the time.  Children are afraid of the stuffed animals," says the museum's head guard, bluntly.  He adds: "they prefer the shells and the multicoloured butterflies that are exhibited in another room."  Rare insects like the sphinx and the papilo demodocus are exhibited in the third gallery of the museum.  Other insects, mainly used for medical virtues can also found there.          

An original skeleton

Under a glass bell, a strange skeleton attracts visitors.  Unique in the world, this bird from the island of Rodrigues became extinct at the end of the 18^th century due to the introduction of its predators (men and animals) onto the island.  The skeleton, exhibited in the museum, was discovered at Caverne Patate and was acquired by the museum in 1900. 

In Mauritius, there are also two species of giant tortoises, which disappeared in the late 17^th century.  In 1776, the French knight Marion Dufresne brought a 200-year-old Sumeire tortoise back from the Seychelles and donated it to the military garrison of the Line Barracks in Port Louis.  These tortoises, carefully displayed on a platform at human eye-level, delight the young who can then discover the multitude of animals that trod across Mauritius several hundred years ago.         

At the other end of the museum lies the geological section of the museum.  There are samples of typical rocks that can be found on the island, as well as minerals, fossils and poly metallic nodules collected from the seabed.  A luminous bowl portraying the volcanic activity is also exhibited.  It is not uncommon to witness an entire class entering the museum to collect information for a geology project.  A gold mine for children and adults...