The Komodo dragons are not in danger of extinction , However, they have been listed as one of the animal species endemic to the Komodo Natural Park that is in a state of vulnerability.
The threats that place the Komodo dragon in a state of vulnerability are related to poaching and the loss of habitat caused by human settlements. Komodo dragons are treated by hunters as hunting trophies. They are also killed by their feet and their claws to make novel articles.
The Komodo dragon is one of the Reptiles Largest in the world, reaching up to 3 meters in length and weighing approximately 70 kilograms. This reptile species can only be found on the Komodo Islands and on some smaller islands in northern Australia.
A male Komodo dragon can grow for 20 years, while females typically take 5 to 7 years to reach maturity. However, it is estimated that the life cycle of a Komodo dragon is 30 years (Society, 2015).
Natural History of the Komodo Dragon
Komodo dragons are carnivorous, that is, they feed on flesh. They are recognized because they can devour any animal, dismembering it and swallowing it fiercely. Although some are scavengers (they feed on animal remains), they can also catch live prey such as deer, pigs, birds and even younger dragons.
It can be said that Komodo dragons are formidable predators, since a bite of yours is lethal. This is because the bacteria living in their saliva are virulent and highly toxic. In this way, once the prey is bitten by the dragon, its wounds will not heal.
Even when the prey escapes, it often dies because of the infection transmitted by the dragon after a few days.
Komodo dragons' fame for being human predators is well-deserved, as they apparently do not fear them. For this reason, many attacks and deaths have been reported over the years.
Komodo dragons are not on the list Endangered species , But are considered in a state of vulnerability.
State of vulnerability
The imposing Komodo dragon is in a state of vulnerability. Some people believe that the world's largest lizard would not have to worry about its safety.
However, an estimated study of the Komodo dragon population in Komodo National Park indicates that they currently survive only from 2,400 to 3,000 individuals.
On the island of Flores, just outside the Komodo National Park, it is estimated that the number of dragons is between 300 and 500 individuals.
Dragons living outside Komodo National Park are at greater risk as their habitat may be fragmented and affected by vegetation burns by poachers seeking deer from Timor.
In Flores Island, the habitat of Komodo dragons is rapidly shrinking as a result of environmental impact Which has the unlimited growth of the population. About 2 million people live on this island.
The Komodo dragon population is relatively stable, with approximately 5,000 specimens. However, some scientists are concerned, since only 350 of these individuals are females in a position to reproduce.
The limited distribution of the dragon makes it highly susceptible to being affected by factors related to human activity, such as climate change, fire or some diseases.
Hunting and loss of natural habitat
The main threats to Komodo dragons are related to poaching and the loss of habitat caused by human settlements.
As has historically occurred with other species, Komodo dragons are treated by hunters as hunting trophies. They are also killed by their feet and their claws to make novel articles.
At the beginning of the 21st century some Komodo dragons were hunted to be sold to zoos and private collectors. (School, 2002)
Manufacture of accessories
One factor that has affected the population of Komodo dragons is the use of firearms. In their natural habitat Komodo dragons have no natural enemies beyond themselves. However, since humans began to hunt them for their skin, the population of dragons has declined.
The skin of these lizards is frequently used to make wallets and accessories such as wallets. In this sense, they must face the same threats as crocodiles (Minolta, 2017).
Other causes
Despite its ferocious nature and having existed for millions of years, the population of Komodo dragons in the world has declined considerably over the past few years.
Apart from poaching and the destruction of its natural habitat, this species has been severely affected by the lack of females of reproductive age and some natural disasters.
Other reasons they are vulnerable are due to the volcanic activity on the island of Komodo, the tourism that is lived there, the spontaneous fires that take place in the dry season of the island and The poaching of their favorite prey and main food source (deer of Timor) (Kasnoff, 2017).
Strategies of preservation of the species
In order to preserve the species, in the year 1980 the Komodo National Park was founded, a natural reserve in charge of protecting the natural habitat of the dragon and other species of fauna and flora of the zone. The park is located in Indonesia, southeast of the Lesser Sunda Asian Islands.
The conservation area of dragons comprises more than 1,000 square kilometers and approximately 45,000 people a year visit this vast natural territory, declared by UNESCO as a natural heritage of mankind (Birchall, 2017).
Google Doodle
During the celebration of the 37 years of existence of the Komodo National Park, the company Google decided to publish a Doodle (interactive graphic in the window of the search engine) in which the species was honored and invited to its conservation (Cleary , 2017).
Regulations and protection of natural habitat
The trade in Komodo dragons is prohibited under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). In this way, it regulates the poaching of the species and controls the passage of people to various sectors of the island of Komodo.
On the other hand, Komodo dragons have become a great attraction for tourists from all over the world. The inhabitants of the islands located in Komodo National Park have seen in tourism an important business potential. For this reason, they have created hotels and tours to see the dragons.
This theme must be regulated, as it is now possible to see some dragons lying on the beach waiting for a group of eager tourists to bring a sheep or goat to see how they feed (WWF, 2017).
References
- Birchall, G. (March 6, 2017). The Sun . Retrieved from Where is Komodo National Park, what are Komodo dragons, are they endangered and how fast can they run?: thesun.co.uk.
- Cleary, T. (March 5, 2017). Heavy . Obtained from Komodo National Park: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know: heavy.com.
- Kasnoff, C. (2017). Bagheera . Obtained from KOMODO DRAGON AN ENDANGERED SPECIES: bagheera.com.
- Minolta, K. (2017). Konica Minolta . Retrieved from Our Endangered Animals: konicaminolta.com.
- School, B.E. (2002). They have . Retrieved from The Komodo Dragon: tenan.vuurwerk.nl.
- Society, N.G. (2015). Animals . Obtained from Komodo Dragon: nationalgeographic.com.
- (2017). Komodo Dragon . Retrieved from"King Of The Lizards": wwf.panda.org.