Let's Save the Komodo

The Komodo is an ancient Giant Lizard, often called Dragons, that can only be found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo and Flores.
And today, there are 2,500 of them living in Komodo Island and 17 in Flores Island.

Many efforts have been made to preserve the Komodo from extinction, among others by declaring their habitat in Komodo Island as a protected National Park.
Last year, the Komodo National Park has been participated in the campaign for the World’s New 7 Wonders of Nature. And on 21 July, the New 7 Wonders Foundation has announced that Komodo Island is one of the 28 Finalist which will continue to compete in the final stage of the campaign until 2011 in order to be the Final 7 Wonders of Nature.
This is a very good achievement considering that there were more than 440 participants from all over the world when the campaign started in 2008.

Further, in order to make them breed healthily, 10 of the 17 Komodo in Flores shall be moved to the Taman Safari in Bali. This plan has been protested by the environmental agency WALHI who doubted the plan’s successfulness, and by the local people who feared that tourist would not come to Flores if there is no Komodo.

For details regarding the above, please click here and here.

I hope that the efforts to safe the Komodo would really be based on the interests of the Komodo themselves, so that they would live healthily and their numbers would increase in the future.


Photo: Courtesy of Visit Indonesia Year