Allegedly, smugglers wanted to sell dragons to a foreign buyer abroad for about USD35,000 each. Komodo dragons are a species of huge lizards found in several Indonesian islands including Komodo, Rinca, Flores and Gili Motang. They are the largest living species of lizards. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists Komodo dragons as vulnerable.
If closure of Komodo Island will indeed happen, it will help considerably the conservation efforts of the Indonesian government, allowing for better organization of food supply for the dragons as well as focusing on breeding to enlarge population of rare Komodo dragons protected by the Indonesian law.
In the meantime, the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) administration has asked the Environment and Forestry Ministry to get full supervision over Komodo National Park in order to ensure a better level of security measures within the park. Besides smuggling of dragons, the Gili Lawa hills in the park complex have been set on fire recently. “Recent reports of crimes and disturbance around Komodo National Park proves that the central government has been doing a poor job in protecting the park,” NTT administration stated.
Komodo Island to Close for Tourists
News in Asia
Komodo Island is likely to be closed for tourists starting from January, 2020. The closure was triggered by a recent attempt to smuggle 41 Komodo dragons.