Gigantic, the pre-historic lizard-like creatures are about three or four meters in length, its ancestors roamed the earth up to about half a million years ago. Called "ora" by the local people, komodo dragon (Varanus Komodoensis) can easily weigh about 165 kilograms. Despite of their sheer size and appearance, they are not active hunters. What makes them intimidating is the fact that they are a patient predator. In the wild, they stalk a victim, usually a weak or injured one. One bite and that’s what it usually takes. After following the victim for a while, sometimes up to several days’ time, the komodos will devour the dying prey.
Komodo island, a small island of 280 square km is truly unique, for it is the natural habitat for this almost extinct species. Approximately one thousand and two hundred komodos reside here. The only human population on the island is at the fishing village called Komodo who supplement their income breeding goats which are used to feed the lizardz. Komodos also live in a nearby island called Rinca.
Law protects the Komodo and although they are considered harmless. It is advisable to keep them at a distance. Komodo Island is now a nature reserve, home to a number of rare bird species, deer, and wild pigs, which are prey to the lizards as well. The island can be reached by boat from Labuan Bajo, West of Flores.
Komodo National Park lies in the Wallacea Region of Indonesia, identified by WWF and Conservation International as a global conservation priority area. The Park is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores at the border of the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) and Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTP) provinces. It includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2.
Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon(Varanus komodoensis), first discovered by the scientific world in 1911 by J.K.H. Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals
Komodo National Park is currently among three travel destinations in Indonesia that has been qualified in the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign held by the New 7 Wonders Foundation (two other candidates is Lake Toba and Krakatau Island).
You may support Komodo National Park to become the New 7 Wonders of Nature by voting through the following the URL:
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/
and give your VOTE in this link :
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/vote_on_nominees/
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