Rodrigues wasn’t colonized until over 700 years after it was known to exist in the Indian Ocean. In the 900’s, the Mascarene Islands were first described on Arabic maps. They called Rodrigues,“Desert Island” or Diva Harab (ديفا هاراب). Rodrigues was named after Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues in 1528. Rodrigues was occupied by many countries while exploring routes to the Spice Islands. In 1691, the Huguenot François Leguat tried to set up a farming colony, which failed due to its dry climate. The island was used to replenish supplies of water and food like giant tortoises and birds. In 1735, the French established the first permanent settlement on Rodrigues. Today, Rodrigues is part of the Republic of Mauritius. The Rodridues solitaire thrived when in the solitary confinement of Rodrigues island. When people arrived, the solitaire’s story mirrored its island neighbor, the dodo from Mauritius. The solitaire only raised one chick per year. Because the chick needed more care, the parents would both invest time and resources raising it. Once people brought invasive rats, cats, and pigs to the island, the solitaire had no way to maiontain its population. Although Leguat and others were fascinated by the solitaire’s swan-sized beauty, they did use it as a food source. When the Tortoise Trade swept through the islands of the Indian Ocean, people began brush fires to reduce vegetation. This has devastating effects on the solitaire as well as the Rorigues parrot, owl, and two unique species of tortoises. Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The Rodrigues solitaire would not be a good candidate unless a well preserved specimen was discovered in a museum collection somewhere. It is preserved only in records from the past. If the Rodrigues solitaire was brought to life, could it ever be reintroduced to its native homeland in Rodrigues? This very question is wrapped up well by the observations by Ben J. Novak who works with Revive & Restore, a scientific group looking into de-extinction projects like the dodo and Mauritius giant tortoises. Mr. Novak said, “My time in Mauritius was a true crash course in the nation’s proud conservation movement. Mauritius, while having lost the majority of its endemic species, is home to some of the most incredible recovery projects of endangered species anywhere in the world. For example, after having declined to only 12 individuals in 1968, the population of Rodrigues Fody, a small, red-faced songbird, has recovered to over 8,000. Mauritius has pioneered innovative hybrid programs of in situ and ex situ conservation recovery, exemplified by the Mauritius Kestrel recovery; the population has grown from a single female and 3 males in 1974 to over 400 individuals today. And it is one of the first countries to replace an extinct species, the endemic Mauritius Giant Tortoise, with a living ecological surrogate – the Aldabra Giant Tortoise. In essence, Mauritius has already done de-extinction the non-genetic way.” It seems that if the Roridgues solitaire was ever brought back, Rodrigues Island has already done much to prepare for its return.