The dodo,the deer and a 1647 voyage to Japan

More has been written about the iconic Dodo Raphus cucullatus of Mauritius than any other extinct bird, yet despite its familiarity, only a few specimens were exported from Mauritius; individual birds reached Europe alive in 1626 and 1638 and at least two survived a journey to India in 1625. There are also vague records of other exported birds. Here, we provide confirmation based on seventeenth century documents that a live Dodo was sent to Japan in 1647, the last known captive bird, and comment on the details of its long and arduous voyage.