Black River Gorges National Park is a tiny but hugely important park in the south west of Mauritius, representing a huge concentration of massively endangered flora and fauna covering 6574 ha. It was proclaimed as a park only as recently as 1994 in an attempt to stop it being decimated completely. There is a range of heathland, humid upper level forest and drier lowland forest.
The remaining forest has sadly been badly degraded and is invaded by introduced tropical plants and animals such as wild boar and chinese deer, but there are some isolated pockets of original indigenous plants. There are several hiking trails here if you would like to spend some time exploring. The Petrin Information Centre is open 9-4 daily and has a boardwalk nearby that leads you open heathland and 50km of trails with some picnic spots and campsites.
There are several research stations in the park and the parks board and Mauritius Wildlife Foundation are carrying out essential work here. Amongst those highly endangered and protected birds found here are the Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon, Mauritius Parakeet, Mauritius Cuckoo Shrike, Mauritius Bulbul, Mauritius Olive White Eye and Grey White Eye and the Mauritius Fody.
