The Black River Gorges National Park Project was proclaimed on the 15th of June 1994 by the President of the Republic of Mauritius. The park is found in the South West of the island, and covers an area of 6,574 hectares of forests including the highest point at Piton de la Rivière Noire (828 m).
Once prime hunting grounds, the area became a protected reserve in 1994 after scientists identified over 300 species of flowering plant, nine endemic species of bird and a population of giant fruit bats that numbered more than 4000. This is also an important habitat for three of the island's most endangered bird species: the Mauritius kestrel, the echo parakeet and the pink pigeon. Introduced wild boar, macaque monkeys and deer also wander through the vast swaths of old-growth ebony, and sightings are not uncommon.
Once prime hunting grounds, the area became a protected reserve in 1994 after scientists identified over 300 species of flowering plant, nine endemic species of bird and a population of giant fruit bats that numbered more than 4000. This is also an important habitat for three of the island's most endangered bird species: the Mauritius kestrel, the echo parakeet and the pink pigeon. Introduced wild boar, macaque monkeys and deer also wander through the vast swaths of old-growth ebony, and sightings are not uncommon.
