The famous Komodo Dragon, an endangered species of which there are only 3-5 thousand left in the wild, exists only within Komodo National Park, which covers nearly 1,000 square miles of Komodo Island and the two smaller islands of Rinca and Padar in Indonesia. The park was established in 1980 in order to protect its prime inhabitant, and has since expanded to include the protection and preservation of all plants and animals within it’s boundaries both on land and in the sea.

The dragons are almost prehistoric looking and are extremely strong with hooked claws and forked tongue. They are fast on land, and able to swim and climb. While the female is a bit smaller, the male of the species can grow up to 10 feet long, weigh over 200 pounds, and they live from between 20 and 40 years. Their favorite prey is wild pigs and Timor deer, and they have a sense of smell that can detect their next meal from up to 5 miles away. They have poor hearing, but they see in color and it is advised to not wear red when around one, as the color of blood may be mistaken for injured prey. They reign at the top of the food chain on this island.

The old saying “a bark worse than their bite” does not apply to the Komodo dragon. With teeth much like that of a shark, their bite is fatal and contains deadly bacteria and blood anti-coagulants that cause instant and deadly infection. Once attacked, the dragon will follow it’s prey until it succumbs to the bacteria, dies, and the dragon gets its meal.

All that being said, amazingly, tourists are still allowed to visit the island to catch a glimpse of the largest lizard on earth in its natural habitat. There are no roads or cars and visitors are discouraged from touring alone, unless on a ranger-guided walking path in the hot, unspoiled, savanna and tropical forest environment. It is a little hard to believe that this practice can continue here and, in fact, fewer than 20,000 people a year are able to visit this remote island. It was amazing, and frankly scary, just how close we actually came to the giant dragons while they were resting beneath a tree or walking along the beach.

Then, of course, we arrived back at the tender pier to find ourselves strategically ushered through the ever-present row of souvenir shops with Komodo pearl jewelry, t-shirts, dragon wood carvings, and refrigerator magnets. This time, though, I was relieved and even thankful to see it.

Been there….done that!

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