Restoring the ecosystem of the Seychelles' islands

North of Madagascar is an archipelago nation known as the Seychelles. Located in the Indian Ocean, 33 of its islands are comprised of granite and some 70 more of raised coral mounds. It may seem like a vision of paradise, yet for many island inhabitants life is far from rosy. Numerous species of indigenous animals and vegetation exist nowhere else in the world and are severely endangered. The threat of extinction is very real. For hundreds of years, people have been bringing animals and plants to the Seychelles. With no natural enemies here, these imported species have thrived - often at the expense of those native to the island. Now a plan has been enacted to change all that.

The inhabitants of the islands of Fregate and Cousin have turned the ecological clock back 300 years, hoping to restore life here to the way it was before people arrived. The rigorous work required to create this sort of natural reserve is only possible because Fregate and Cousin are privately owned and operated. Tourists can support the project and experience this idyllic wonderland for themselves.

Twelve people are on staff to defend this primordial garden against foreign plant and animal life, systematically - even vehemently - eradicating anything that does not belong here. Palm trees, vanilla and cinnamon - all of these plants flourish here. None, however, is native to these islands. The palm plantations in the island's interior must be thoroughly uprooted. With the land clear, ancient island vegetation can be safely replanted. Yet that's just the tip of the iceberg. Rangers have to watch over every animal that lives here. It's a gigantic experiment, which has begun to bear fruit. Not long ago, the Seychelles Magpie Robin was on the brink of extinction with just seven of these lovely glossy, coal-black birds in existence. Today, there are 25 just on the island of Cousin.

Yet despite the obvious rewards, the project has faced bumps and roadblocks. The largest problem was rat control as these animals reproduce at an astonishing rate. Originally, rats were brought to the islands to prevent flying foxes, the Seychelles only indigenous mammal, from eating the fruit. The rats proved to be a mortal enemy of these bats, who build their nests on the ground. The only feasible option was to wipe out the entire rat population by having a helicopter spray the island. But before this could be done, all of the indigenous animals had to be brought to safety. This included evacuating hundreds of birds and 170 turtles. To this day, the island paradise remains rat free. The most stringent precautions have been taken to ensure things stay that way, which means that all boats wanting to approach the coastline must be granted explicit permission first.