A park ranger in Indonesia has been badly injured in an attack by a Komodo dragon which had climbed a ladder into his hut. The victim received severe lacerations when the dragon mauled his hand and foot.
The attack on Rinca, one of three islands where the world's largest lizard can be found in the wild, saw the creature lunge at the victim while he was at his desk, a Komodo National Park official said.
The 46-year-old victim screamed for help and jumped on to his desk, clutching the neck of the reptile. He then let go and fled out the window as colleagues raced to his aid and used wooden sticks to force the dragon out of the hut.
He needed more than 30 stitches to his injuries but is now recovering well in hospital.
Speaking from his hospital bed on the nearby island of Bali, he said: "I'm lucky I survived. Nothing like this has ever happened to me... in 25 years on the job. I've never been attacked."
Attacks on humans by Komodo dragons are rare but one did attack and kill an eight-year-old boy in 2007 on Komodo island, the first recorded deadly attack on a human by one of the giant lizards in 33 years.
The reptile can grow up to 10ft long and weigh as much as 150lb. They have shark-like serrated teeth and their saliva contains about 50 bacteria strains, so infection is also a risk.
http://news.uk.msn.com/world/article.aspx?cp-documentid=14565112
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