Komodo island in Indonesia, famous as the home of the Komodo Dragon, is likely to close for one year, according to Indonesian local press. The island is a popular tourist destination because it’s home of the world’s largest lizard.
Indonesia’s Tempo newspaper cited provincial administration spokesman, Marius Jelamu, who said that Komodo will be closed for one year, starting from January 2020. The decision was made after the bust of an alleged smuggling ring in March. The smugglers took 41 Komodo Dragons from the island, and sold them abroad for about $35,000 each.
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The government now plans
to close the island and work on a conservation program in order to increase the
population of Komodo Dragons. It’s estimated that there are currently around 6,000
of these lizards in the wild, 1800 of which are located on Komodo island.
Komodo National Park includes
three larger islands, Komodo, Padar and Rinca, and 26 smaller islands. Only Komodo
island will be closed, which means that tourist will still be able to see the
animal in other parts of the national park.
Komodo dragon is a
protected animal that can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds.
They’re considered the world’s largest living lizard and are famous for their sharp
teeth and a venomous bite.
