Riviere Noire District

Rivière Noire (Black River) contains what remains of Mauritius as it existed before humans arrived—and what may remain as UNESCO World Heritage. The Black River Gorges National Park, proclaimed in 1994, protects 6,574 hectares (3.2% of the island) containing nearly all surviving old-growth forest. Only 2% of native forest remains anywhere on Mauritius; this park holds most of it, sheltering 163 of the island's 311 endemic plant species and all surviving endemic birds: Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, Mauritius parakeet, and five others. Le Morne Brabant, the UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, commemorates the escaped slaves who sheltered on and around the distinctive rock formation—a landscape of resistance that anchors Mauritian identity beyond colonial economics. Flic-en-Flac provides the beach tourism that funds conservation, the 8-kilometer stretch of white sand attracting resort development that concentrates visitors while the interior remains protected. Chamarel's seven-colored earth geological formation and adjacent waterfall create day-trip destinations drawing visitors from coastal resorts throughout the island. The district demonstrates the tension that shapes small island conservation: protecting endemic species requires keeping humans out of remaining habitat while tourism economics require bringing humans to attractive landscapes nearby. By 2026, the park anchors the Black River Gorges-Bel Ombre Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO recognition that may eventually upgrade to World Heritage status.