Here be Dragons: but how much longer for the Komodo?

The habitat of Komodo Dragons, the largest living species of lizards and one of the closest relatives to the dinosaurs, is confined to four small islands off the coast of the larger island of Flores about 1,100 kilometres east of Jakarta, the Indonesian capital.

Eight years ago, there were about 5,000 of these giant lizards recorded lurking around the bush, mainly in the Komodo National Park set up especially to protect this vulnerable species. But, despite the reserve’s best intentions and as human activity continues to encroach on the wild reserves, the Komodo population in the park has dwindled down now to 2,700. The main park’s mission is trying to preserve these animals and also to educate local people on co-existence with the giant lizard.

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tags: Indonesia, Science