In old drawings, the dodo was depicted as an obese bird living in captivity (in the early 17th century, the Indian painter Mansur created one of the few realistic portraits of a living dodo). Because of Mauritius’ dry and rainy season, it is presumed that the birds gained weight during the rainy season to survive the dry season, when food was scarce. Birds kept in captivity had food in abundance, so their appearance could indicate a massive, clumsy, trusting one. They were trusting because until humans arrived on the island they knew no danger.
