CUREPIPE | At the foot of Trou-aux-Cerfs: Discovery of a century-old Grand Mat

In the heart of a small, forgotten forest in Curepipe, just a hundred meters from Trou-aux-cerfs and the Vatel Bleu pastry shop, a tree is making headlines again. While around ten volunteers participated Saturday morning in an ecological restoration operation on half an acre of land belonging to the state, they discovered an imposing Mimusops Maxima, better known under the name "Macaque" or “Grand Natte”, a species endemic to Mauritius, whose age is estimated at nearly a century.

A discovery which gives particular scope to the reforestation project carried out as part of the “Anou Angaz Nou Pou Nou Planet” initiative.

Last year, at the very beginning of the campaign, volunteers from the NGO Anangel cleaned up invasive plants to allow native species to take back their place. And it was during this work that Jean-Michel Laurent, landscaper specializing in permaculture and living in Curepipe for more than 20 years, recognized this remarkable tree. After checking with botanists, it turned out that it was indeed a Macaque, one of the witnesses of the original forests of Mauritius.

“This tree knew our great-great-grandparents. There is a beautiful story behind him,” confides Jean-Michel Laurent. Around its trunk, several young shoots were observed, suggesting possibilities for natural regeneration. The officers of the Woods and Forests also specify that this species is today the subject of a major conservation program and that its seeds are already harvested in order to multiply in a nursery.

Endemic forest in the making

The discovery took place as part of the project carried out by the Anangel platform. Navinee Ramnial, People Partner of the organization, explains that this initiative aims to support NGOs while encouraging concrete actions in favor of the environment. “With the effects of climate change, we know that many of our endemic trees have disappeared. We therefore asked the authorities for a plot where we could contribute to the restoration of an indigenous forest,” she explains.

The land, located near Trou-aux-Cerfs, had already been the subject of a first planting campaign last year, but the proliferation of invasive species had compromised part of the efforts. This year, the objective was to completely clean up the site before continuing with the plantings. “It was while cleaning that we discovered this tree,” she emphasizes.

The project brings together several partners, including the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Beau-Bassin/Rose-Hill, les Bois et Forêts, which provides the young plants, as well as Lux* Resorts, which provides financial support to the initiative. Wood c