The Bizarre Behaviors of the Dodo Bird
Perhaps not so dumb after all.
Before the arrival of the world’s most threatening super-predator to Mauritius, the dodo bird lived a fascinating life filled with bizarre behaviors, unlike any other creature on earth. Then, in 1598, humans arrived.
The Island of the Dodo
Mauritius was a small, undisturbed island with lush greenery and a unique ecosystem that developed over millennia. Think of pre-17th century Mauritius as similar to one of the Galapagos Islands — only this time in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius is due east of Madagascar. There are a handful of nearby islands, but for the most part, it is surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean in all directions.
The island’s isolation made it home to many unique species, including the notorious flightless dodo bird. The dodo had evolved to be perfectly adapted to survive Mauritius’s harsh conditions. But when humans arrived, The dodo could not adapt to the changes brought, and according to The Dodo by Charles River Editors, the last confirmed siting of a dodo came in 1662. However, some speculate that the dodo did not go fully extinct until the 1690s. Homo sapiens proved to be too harsh of a condition.
Although the dodo’s official extinction date is unknown, dodos went extinct fewer than 100…
