In the 1970s and 1980s, Mauritius was a sorry tale of disappearing wildlife and a land almost emptied of birdsong. In 1974, just four Mauritius kestrels survived in the wild. By the mid-1980s, there were only 12 pink pigeons and between eight and 12 echo parakeets.

And then, just in time, it all turned around. There may have been no way back for the dodo, but a recent academic study concluded that Mauritius has brought more bird species (five) back from the brink of extinction than any other country.

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