Cousine Island

In 1992 the island was purchased and a conservation program was introduced to protect nesting sea turtles and maintain the existing populations of endemic land birds.

Cousine Island is a breeding ground for seabirds and has a population of transplanted Aldabra giant tortoises. The island has undergone an extensive vegetation rehabilitation program which involves planting of indigenous flora and the removal of alien plant species. Since 1995 over 2000 native trees have been planted.

Indo-Pacific hawksbill turtles are known to nest on this island.{{cite journal | last1 =Hitchins| first1 =P. M.|last2 =Bourquin |first2=O. |last3=Hitchins |first3 =S. | title =Nesting success of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on Cousine Island, Seychelles | journal =Journal of Zoology | volume =264| issue =2 | pages =383–389 | publisher =Cambridge University Press, The Zoological Society of London | date =2004-04-27 | url=http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=259629 | doi =10.1017/S0952836904005904 | access-date = 2007-02-21 }}

The island has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area because it supports populations of the Seychelles warbler, magpie-robin and fody, as well as substantial breeding colonies of wedge-tailed shearwaters, white-tailed tropicbirds, lesser noddies and white terns.BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Cousine island. Downloaded from {{cite web |url=http://www.birdlife.org |title=BirdLife International - conserving the world's birds |access-date=August 15, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710124603/http://www.birdlife.org/ |archive-date=July 10, 2007 }} on 25/07/2012Jan Komdeur: [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0006320794903603 Conserving the Seychelles Warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis by Translocation from Cousin Island to the Islands of Aride and Cousine]. In: Biological Conservation 67, 1994, S. 143–152

In order to finance the restoration project a small exclusive bungalow resort was built on Cousine. The hotel manager, his family, and an ornithologist with his family, live in the staff quarters on the east beach. They are responsible for the restoration, maintenance and preservation of flora and fauna of the island. The current staff is 16 employees.

There are four beachfront French Colonial style villas (maximum number of guests allowed is 10) on the island.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cousineisland.com/ |title=Official site |access-date=2008-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509134009/http://www.cousineisland.com/ |archive-date=2008-05-09 |url-status=dead }}

It is 30 hectares.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/9226905/The-worlds-most-expensive-private-islands.html?image=1 The world's most expensive private islands], The Daily Telegraph {{As of|2012}}, it is the world's third most expensive private island.

File:Seychelles large map.jpg|Map 1

File:cousine+cousine seychelles.jpg|Cousine and Cousin (right), seen from Praslin

File:Cousine_island.jpg| Cousine Island

File:Praslin.svg| Map 2

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080509193257/http://www.cousineisland.com/3-3-conservation.php Cousine Island Nature Conservation - Giant Turtle Conservation]
• [https://www.pbs.org/odyssey/odyssey/20020813_log_transcript.html Seychelles Magpie Robin Recovery Program]
• [http://www.helicopterseychelles.com/green_island.html An article in Geographical magazine about the conservation work on Cousine]

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Category:Islands of Grand'Anse Praslin

Category:Important Bird Areas of Seychelles

Category:Private islands of Seychelles

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