François Leguat Giant Tortoise and Cave Reserve
Welcome to François Leguat Giant Tortoise & Cave Reserve!
Join us on a guided tour that will take you on an adventure through our 20ha Reserve where you will have a taste of what pristine Rodrigues would have looked like. Walking and interacting with giant tortoises roaming freely, discovering the amazing native flora and ending with an incursion in the Grande Caverne with its majestic limestone formations. Enjoy throughout the visit the magnificent sight of tropic birds flying to and from their nesting hollows in the Reserve’s limestone cliffs.
giant tortoises
Pristine Rodrigues used to have the world’s highest density of land tortoises. It took humans only 100 years to drive both of Rodrigues’ endemic species to extinction – Approximately 280,000 tortoises were taken away on ships or killed for meat and oil between 1730 and 1770.
In 2006 and 2007, Francois Leguat Reserve re-introduced two species of tortoises (Aldabra and Radiata Tortoises) that are the closest living tortoises to the extinct Rodrigues tortoises. These are known as « analogue species ». The introduced tortoises were all captive bred at La Vanille Nature Park in Mauritius.
The rewilding of the two analogue species is so successful that today there are more than 2500 individuals including babies at Francois Leguat.There is now a feel of pre-history as one strolls the Reserve and interacts with the giant tortoises.
Recently, a third species, the Ploughshare Tortoise has been introduced under an agreement with the Government of Madagascar. This species is almost extinct in its natural habitat in Madagascar due to illegal pet trade. The aim is to breed them with the hope of eventually returning them to Madagascar.
The Caves
The Reserve is located in the south western part of Rodrigues, a unique landscape of limestone features including 9 impressive caves and dolines. Among them there is the aptly named cave, Grande Caverne which has been equipped with state of art walkways, steps and eco-friendly lighting. Grande Caverne is the only electrified ‘Show Cave’ in the south-west Indian Ocean. All done to international standards with the help of an Australian cave consultant.
the caves
The Reserve is located in the south western part of Rodrigues, a unique landscape of limestone features including 9 impressive caves and dolines. Among them there is the aptly named cave, Grande Caverne which has been equipped with state of art walkways, steps and eco-friendly lighting. Grande Caverne is the only electrified ‘Show Cave’ in the south-west Indian Ocean. All done to international standards with the help of an Australian cave consultant.
The François Leguat Museum
The Reserve houses a museum depicting the human, faunal and geological history of Rodrigues. A tour through the four galleries of the museum will give to visitors a sound knowledge of Rodrigues. Hundreds of local and international school children visit the Reserve every year and the museum is a wonderful pedagogical tool to inculcate in them an interest and concern for the natural environment.
the françois leguat museum
The Reserve houses a museum depicting the human, faunal and geological history of Rodrigues. A tour through the four galleries of the museum will give to visitors a sound knowledge of Rodrigues. Hundreds of local and international school children visit the Reserve every year and the museum is a wonderful pedagogical tool to inculcate in them an interest and concern for the natural environment.
Education and Scientific Research
Conservation of the natural environment is our business and this battle can only be won if everybody is involved, namely : local people, visitors and scientists. The Reserve invests in awareness campaigns and educational programs to sensitize a maximum number of people. It encourages and supports scientific research in various fields. Over the past ten years, it has welcome a number of university students and international volunteers.
education and scientific research
Conservation of the natural environment is our business and this battle can only be won if everybody is involved, namely : local people, visitors and scientists. The Reserve invests in awareness campaigns and educational programs to sensitize a maximum number of people. It encourages and supports scientific research in various fields. Over the past ten years, it has welcome a number of university students and international volunteers.
Restaurant and Souvenir Shop
To ensure the sustainability of our conservation programs, the Reserve has to generate funds. Over and above the gate takings for the visit of the Reserve and Grande Caverne, visitors are encouraged to taste our delicious cuisine, the fresh local juices and cocktails at our restaurant. The souvenir shop offers an array of products that will remind all the visitors of the wonderful time spent at the Reserve and in Rodrigues.
restaurant and souvenir shop
To ensure the sustainability of our conservation programs, the Reserve has to generate funds. Over and above the gate takings for the visit of the Reserve and Grande Caverne, visitors are encouraged to taste our delicious cuisine, the fresh local juices and cocktails at our restaurant. The souvenir shop offers an array of products that will remind all the visitors of the wonderful time spent at the Reserve and in Rodrigues.
Sponsoring a tortoise
Once the visitors have interacted with the tortoises, a magical not to say mystical bond is created. To make this experience last beyond the actual visit, the Reserve offers visitors the opportunity to sponsor a tortoise. This sponsoring project has created a solid international network and we are thankful to all the sponsors for their continued and most cherished support. You can sponsor a tortoise even though you have never visited the Reserve and Rodrigues.
Conclusion
The Francois Leguat Reserve has a number of aims - it is first and foremost a giant tortoise rewilding project aimed at recreating part of the original Rodriguan ecosystem ; educating the public into the importance of the world’s wild environments and the threats they face and finally giving visitors an enjoyable and exciting experience. This is done with the help of our 30 committed and passionate staff members. We strongly believe in the capacity of humans to reconstruct what has been destroyed. Come and visit us and help us in our efforts!
find out more
• Website: https://www.francoisleguatreserve.com
• Email : infotorti@gmail.com
• Phone : (+230) 832 8141
• Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/francoisleguatgianttortoiseandcavereserve/