Komodo Dragon Island

Komodo Island is one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia. The island is particularly notable as the natural habitat of the komodo dragon, the largest lizard on earth and consequently named after the island. Komodo Island has a surface area of 390 km² and a permanent population of over 2,000. The inhabitants of the island are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island and who have mixed with Bugis from Sulawesi. The population are primarily adherents of Islam but there are also Christian and Hindu congregations. Komodo is part of the Lesser Sunda chain of islands and forms part of the Komodo National Park. In addition, the island is a popular destination for diving. Administratively, it is part of the East Nusa Tenggara Province.

The Komodo Island is part of the Komodo National Park, which includes a cluster of small islands located between Flores and Sumbawa. Komodo island and a few of the surrounding island are home to the pre-historic Komodo, The Giant Lizard Dragon whose existence was not known until 1912. Modest accommodation facilities are available for visitors.From Sumbawa island we will get 6 hours cruise to Komodo Island. Fishermen boat is made of solid teakwood, equipped with radio navigation, electricity, simple toilet, life jackets and one big cabin with 6-2 beds and mattrasses. We could walk about 1,5 km to Waingalung to see a large concentration of this giant monitor lizards. The Scientifically described in 1912 as “Varanus Komodoensis”.

And this Komodo Dragon Lizards could grow to a length of 3 to 4 meters length and weight about 150 to 170 kilograms. Live on carrions, deers and even  carccases of their own. In Rinca island we could see the natural habitat of the Giant Lizards or Komodo Dragons and the natural prey of  the Komodos ; water buffaloes, horses and deers run wild. But we could swim or snorkel on the sea surrounding the islands offers vistas of sea life, crystal clear water and white sandy beaches.The earliest stories of a dragon existing in the region circulated widely and attracted considerable attention. But no one visited the island to check the story until official interest was sparked in the early 1910s by stories from Dutch sailors based in Flores about a mysterious creature. The creature was allegedly a "dragon" which inhabited a small island in the Lesser Sunda Islands (the main island of which is Flores in East Nusa Tenggara).

The Dutch sailors reported that the creature measured up to seven meters in length with a large body and mouth which constantly spat fire. Hearing the reports, Lieutenant Steyn van Hensbroek, an official of the Dutch Colonial Administration in Flores, planned a trip to Komodo Island. He armed himself, and accompanied by a team of soldiers he landed on the island. After a few days, Hensbroek managed to kill one of the strange animals. Van Hensbroek took the animal to headquarters where measurements were taken. It was approximately 2.1 meters long, with a shape very similar to that of a lizard. More samples were then photographed by Peter A. Ouwens, the Director of the Zoological Museum and Botanical Gardens in Bogor, Java. The records that Ouwens made are the first reliable documentation of details about what is now called the Komodo dragon or Komodo monitor.

 

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