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| King of the Lizards walking along the beach |
Before 1910 there were rumours of a mythical creature
residing in an island in the East Indies.
It was that year which a member of the Dutch Colonial Forces, Lt. Major
van Steyn van Hensbroek was told about a monstrous lizard few had seen
inhabiting an island in western Flores, Indonesia.
Soon after, Lt. Major van Hensbroek visited Komodo in hope of procuring
some specimens.
Upon arrival, it was
claimed by members of the Dutch pearl-diving fleet that some of these lizards
grew up to 7m long!
A frightful thought
but most likely an exaggeration.
During
his brief foray on the island, he managed to kill a specimen 2.2m long.
The discovery brought thereafter a number of expeditions to
the island for both scientific research and sport. Many wanted a Komodo trophy for their
own. Shortly after its description, the
Sultan of Bima and the Dutch authorities outlawed making sport of hunting it and
severely limited the numbers of people that could be taken to the island. Even today there are restrictions on
travelling to the islands in the national park whereby a permit is required.
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| Size Comparison |
The Komodo dragon is a gigantic version of a monitor
lizard.
It is the biggest lizard in the
world at 3m long, with a weight of 70kg and the strength to knock over a tree.
Although they may appear lethargic, they can
reach a speed of 12mph in very little time which is key to their stealthy
approach to hunting.
Their bite is
venomous but also contains a lot of nasty bacteria which is what really kills
its prey.
The Island where they live has very few inhabitants. Kampung Komodo, the only village on the main
island, has a population of about 1,300.
Houses are built on stilts as the Komodo Dragon has a long history of
attacking humans. The island is relatively small at 390 square
kilometres, about the same size as the Isle of Wight in Hampshire,
England. The lowlands of the island are
blanketed in grass which is dry all year round except for monsoon season. Higher up towards the island’s peaks is a
dark green forest containing palms and many tropical plants. A steep contrast on a foreboding island which
is now a UNESCO world heritage site.
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| Map of Komodo, Indonesia |
