Africa-Press – Mauritius. In the context of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2021, the National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS), falling under the aegis of the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security, showcased, on 22 May 2021, at Petrin, one of its many actions towards endangered species recovery, namely the reintroduction of Cylindrocline lorencei, a small tree endemic to Mauritius which was considered extinct by 1990.
The International Day for Biological Diversity is commemorated annually on 22 May, and the slogan this year is “We’re part of the solution”. With the collaboration of the Conservatoire Botanique National de Brest in France, the NPCS has successfully reintroduced some plants in Petrin.
The Conservatoire Botanique National de Brest successfully performed in vitro the culture of a viable part of the seed embryo of the Cylindrocline lorencei, saving the plant from extinction.
In addition, further vegetative propagation was undertaken at Brest and at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the United Kingdom. Thus, a small population of Cylindrocline lorencei has been grown and efforts are now underway to re-establish it in its native habitat.
Accordingly, the NPCS is in the process of creating a self-reproducing population where some 50 Cylindrocline lorencei plants will be introduced this year.
This will be the final stage of long term efforts to re-introduce this species back in the wild in the Black River Gorges National Park. The NPCS will continue monitoring the populations reintroduced to ensure its reestablishment in the wild and further reintroduce additional plants.
The Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin, was present at Petrin to plant a Cylindrocline lorencei to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity.
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