Find out all about the Dodo in the Aviary at the Forest Cottage.

Hi! My name is Dinky and I am a Dodo. I am also a Ty Beanie Baby and I am the Dodo in the picture below on the left. The other blue Dodos are Wild Republic Cuddlekins. The real Dodo bird became extinct around the year 1681. But, now, thanks to Wild Republic, we are back.

The Dodo was first described in 1598 when some Dutch sailors found them on the island of Mauritius, which is in the Indian Ocean. The bird was flightless and easy prey for both the sailors and the animals they brought with them, such as the cats and rats on board the ships. Hogs let loose in the woods also destroyed the Dodos eggs. The forests in which the Dodos lived were also destroyed, leaving the birds an easy mark for extinction.

Dodos were about the size of a turkey. They nested on the ground and laid one large egg. Grass was used to build the nest.

The name dodo is derived from the Portuguese word duodo, meaning silly or stupid. In present-day usage the word dodo is applied to a simple-minded person unable to adjust to new situations and ideas.

Dodos belong to the family Raphidae of the order Columbiformes. The Mauritius dodo is classified as Raphus cucullatus.

The three Dodos shown above include Dinky which is a Beanie Baby made by Ty Inc. The other Dodos are made by Wild Republic. Check our sponsor's Gift Shop to find if there are any Dodos wandering about.