The Black River Gorge National Park is located in the southwestern part of the island of Mauritius, was founded in 1994 and is the main natural attraction of the island. The park covers an area of 6574 hectares (3.5% of the entire country), which includes the eastern part of the Black River Gorge, located above the gorge of the Petrin Plateau, the Maccabi and Bris-Fer Ranges, the Mgenta Plateau and Tamarin Gorge. The territory of the park is rich in lakes, mountain rivers, streams and waterfalls, Piton de la Rivière Noire is also located here - the highest point of the island, whose height is 826 meters above sea level. The objective of the National Park is to preserve the ecosystems of humid tropical upland forests, dry low-lying forests and endemic species of flora and fauna. 685 plant species grow in the park, 311 of which are endemic to the island of Mauritius. There are palms, equals (traveler's tree), tree ferns, orchids and lichens, ebony and clusian trees, as well as the Trochetia butonian bush, whose red-white bell-shaped flowers have become the National Symbol of Mauritius. The park is inhabited by 8 species of birds that are not found anywhere else in the world - the Mauritian kestrel, the Echo parrot, the Mauritius shrike, the Mauritius Bulbul, the Mauritian olive white-eyed sparrow, the Mauritian gray-white-eyed sparrow, the Mauritius blue and pink fody. The pink dove is in danger of extinction; today its population totals only about 400 individuals. Fascinating walking routes have been developed for visitors in the park (the total length of the trails is 60 kilometers), observation platforms, recreation and picnic areas, and parking are equipped. During a visit to the park, tourists have the opportunity to see Alexander's Falls, do rock climbing and canyoning, take a swim in a mountain stream, and see representatives of the flora and fauna that are not found in any other corner of the planet. The park has 4 field stations and 2 tourist information centers; annually about 500,000 tourists visit the Black River Gorge National Park.