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 downfall of Rodrigues terrestrial ribbon worm’s downfall began the arrival of people to the island. Once a colony was established, people began cutting down trees and burning sections of the forest. All forests were cut down for agriculture, limiting the damp, rotten wood and leaf litter that the Rodrigues terrestrial ribbon worm needed to survive. Although parts of the forest have been replanted since then, it was too late for the Rodrigues terrestrial ribbon worm. It was last seen in 1918. An effort was made in 1998 to rediscover it to no avail. 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 terrestrial ribbon worm 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 terrestrial ribbon worm 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 terrestrial ribbon worm was ever brought back, Rodrigues Island has already done much to prepare for its return.