Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Pont Bon Dieu is a complex of underground lava tubes, forming caves, in the lowlands of central-north Mauritius. The site is made accessible by subsidence of the roof in two areas; a natural bridge (crossed by a road) remains between the two holes, giving the site its name. The openings are up to 300 m across and 20 m deep. The important parts of the system for wildlife are the interiors of the caves, which are unvegetated. Openings are filled with thickets, mainly of exotic species. The surrounding land is sugar-cane.
See Box and Table 2 for key species. The site is home to the largest known nesting colony of
Collocalia francica (100–1,000 pairs).
Phaethon lepturus also nests at the site.
Non-bird biodiversity: Reptiles: Phelsuma cepediana (endemic). Mammals: Mormopterus acetabulosus (VU; large numbers).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The site is unprotected and has suffered from direct persecution (vandalism), collection of nests for medicinal use or cooking, and dumping of rubbish, which is made possible by the road that approaches the lip of the opening and has at times completely blocked cave entrances. These threats have been countered by a public-awareness campaign and by work parties removing rubbish.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Pont Bon Dieu (Mauritius). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/pont-bon-dieu-iba-mauritius on 23/11/2024.
