Crocodiles at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes Mauritius
Plant nursery at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes Mauritius
Insectarium at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes Mauritius
Tortoises at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes Mauritius
Giftshop at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes Mauritius
Crocodiles at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes Mauritius
Crocodiles at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes Mauritius
Iguana at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes Mauritius
Playground at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes Mauritius
Nature walk at La Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes in Mauritius
Family Excursion
La Vanille is a picturesque and idyllic nature reserve, extending over 3.5 hectares of luxuriant greenery. Follow the nature walk, surrounded by beautiful palms, banana plants and giant bamboo, and you will imagine that you are in a tropical rainforest. In this breathtaking setting you will discover numerous animal species from the Mascarene islands (Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion) and other islands of the southern Indian Ocean.
Fauna
As you explore the reserve you will encounter other animals, in addition to the crocodiles and tortoises. These include monkeys, wild boar, deer, frogs, turtles, iguanas and colourful geckos and chameleons. Don’t miss the walk-in bat enclosure, where you can come face to face with the beautiful Rodrigues fruit bat. All the species at La Vanille are either native to these Indian Ocean islands or have been introduced to the area by man.
Tortoises La Vanille is the world’s largest captive breeding centre for giant Aldabra tortoises (Geochelone gigantea) and also breeds the smaller radiata tortoises (Astrochelys radiata), with over 500 tortoises of all ages in the reserve. Giant tortoises similar to the Aldabra species were once abundant on Mauritius and Rodrigues, but unfortunately they are now extinct. Here you can have the unforgettable experience of walking amongst herds of these gentle giants. Meet our oldest and largest resident, Domino, who weighs in at 275 kg and is over 90 years old.
Crocodiles Our informative guides will take you on a scenic walk through the reserve, where more than 1,500 Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) are bred and reared. These crocodiles are all offspring of individuals brought from Madagascar to Mauritius in 1984. You can see the crocodiles in their various stages of growth, from the young in the nursery through to fully grown adults weighing 500 kg or more.
