LR
Travel Report
Komodo Encounters ©Susan Campbell
The Modern-Day Dragons of Indonesia
O
nly in Indonesia will you find one of the world’s most ancient creatures – the Komodo Dragon. They inhabit the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Padar and Gili Motang. And when you do encounter them, it should be under controlled circumstances, as these giant lizards are not choosy when it comes to prey. Monkeys, deer, pigs, birds, water buffalo and even slow running humans will do. They even eat their own young! Babies quickly climb the nearest tree and live there until large enough to fend off others. They are patient, too. Masters of camouflage, they lie in wait until something walks by and then attack. And they can run surprisingly fast given their size – they can grow up to ten feet long and weigh up to 300 pounds. But even if the intended victim gets away after being bitten, the Komodo will follow it around using its tongue to track the scent until the inevitable blood poisoning occurs. Komodo saliva is full of bacteria that can kill within 24 hours of entering the
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bloodstream, and they can eat 80 percent of their body weight in one feeding. Creepy creatures indeed. To see them, we visited two reserves in Komodo National Park. The creatures are protected now as their numbers are dwindling, but they do run wild. The first one was Komodo Island, where herds of roaming deer are their main meals. It was quite nerve wracking, as our guide carried only a big two-pronged stick to protect us should one take a liking to us. The second was Rinca Island, where monkeys are on their menu, and again, it was easy to be paranoid as six of them were right under the gamekeeper’s shack. As we were busy taking photos of one (thank goodness for zoom lenses) I noticed one quietly ambling toward us from behind. Truthfully, though I was glad to have seen them, I was just as glad to leave! Later we got back on the boat to go snorkeling off a beautiful secluded beach not known for Komodos – which was a good thing, because apparently they swim well, too! Visit: www.komodo-park.com SUSAN CAMPBELL Twitter: @suectravel