CASE STUDY
Jean Boulle Group enables the emergency rescue of three species of rare reptiles.
Working closely with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), BirdLife International, National Parks and Conservation Service of Mauritius (NPCS), and Forestry Service the Jean Boulle Group enabled the emergency rescue of three species of rare reptiles, which might otherwise be facing extinction, following the Wakashio oil spill in Mauritius.
In the immediate aftermath of the spill small numbers of lesser night geckos, Bojer’s skinks, and Bouton’s skinks were captured from the southeast islands of Mauritius and held in a temporary bio-secure holding facility on the mainland. However, this was only a temporary solution. The reptiles arrived at Jersey Zoo where they are receiving expert care from leading herpetologists and this safety net population will form a breeding programme from which the animals, their offspring or future generations can eventually be released back into the wild.
Moving the reptiles to Jersey is a lifeline in establishing assurance populations of these animals and their unique genes away from the disaster zone until the long-term impacts of the oil spill are fully understood. These offshore islands offer a unique diversity in plant and animal life and are home to some of the world’s rarest species, which are found nowhere else on Earth.