Ecology burst onto the scene during the 1960s and 1970s. It created a new form of social demand that is ever expanding. However, ecology is also a century-old scientific field, which was structured in Europe in the 19th century before its revival the US. As regards environmental concerns, those emerging in the 1960s were far from being the first in history. The case of islands, especially that of Mauritius, shows that a form of colonial ecology appeared as early as the end of the 17th century.