The Komodo Island in Komodo National Park

Komodo Island is an island in Komodo National Park as a sanctuary of Komodo Dragons, the biggest reptiles in the world. Furthermore, it is one of the famous islands among 17,508 islands in Indonesia protecting the biggest lizard on Earth. Meanwhile, the island is particularly as the habitat of the Komodo Dragons. Therefore, the name of the island is just coming from this animal. Komodo Island is just around 390 square kilometers with a human population of over two thousands. The local people are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island as well as who have mixed with Bugis from Sulawesi. In addition, the island is part of the Lesser Sunda chain of islands and forms part of the the national park. Nowadays, this island is a popular island as a tourist destination in Indonesia as well as a place to discover the dragons.

Firstly, the stories of a dragon existing in the region circulated widely and attracted considerable attention. Nevertheless, no one visit the island to check the story until official interest was sparked in the early 1910s by stories from Dutch sailors based in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara Province about a mysterious creature. Furthermore, the creature was allegedly a dragon which inhabited a small island in the Lesser Sunda Islands. And then, the Dutch sailors reported that the creature measured up to seven meters in length with a large body and mouth which constantly spat fire. Afterward, Lieutenant Steyn van Hensbroek, an official of the Dutch Colonial Administration in Flores, planned a trip to Komodo Island. Finally, he armed himself with a team of soldiers accompany him and landed successfully. Afterwards, Hensbroek managed to kill one of the lizards.

Firstly, Van Hensbroek took the dragon to headquarters where measurements were taken. It was approximately 2.1 meters long, with a shape very similar to that of a lizard. Furthermore, some samples photographed by Peter A Ouwens, the Director of the Zoological Museum and Botanical Gardens in Bogor, Java. From the record of Ouwens made is the first reliable documentation of the details about what is now called the Komodo dragon? Moreover, Ouwens was keen to obtain additional samples. Therefore, he recruited hunters who killed two dragons measuring 3.1 meters and 3.35 meters as well as capturing two pups, each measuring less than one meter. Ouwens had successfully carried out studies on the samples and concluded that the Komodo dragon was not a flame-thrower but was a type of monitor lizard. This research results were published in 1912. Afterward, Ouwens give the name of this giant lizard as Varanus komodoensis.

WATCHING VIDEO: KOMODO ADVENTURE3D/2N