Indonesian
authorities want to protect endangered lizard from smugglers and restock its
island food supply
Thu 4 Apr
2019 17.34 BSTFirst published on Thu 4 Apr 2019 02.32 BST
Authorities
are considering banning tourists from Komodo, the island home of the ancient
Komodo dragon, to allow for conservation efforts amid concerns over
animal-smuggling.
The
island, in Manggarai Barat, Indonesia, is a
major tourist destination, with many people making the trip to see the lizard
which has a venomous bite, can grow up to three metres long and weigh more
than 150kg.
Authorities
are considering a temporary closure so they can plant native vegetation and
help to restock the dragon’s food supply, thereby increasing the population,
reported the Tempo
newspaper. Dates for the closure have not been confirmed but earlier
discussions have suggested it could last a year.
The talks
come amid efforts to tackle the illegal market in endangered species. Police in
East Java arrested five people in March accused of smuggling Komodo dragons and
other protected animals. Police said the suspects had already sold more than 41
Komodos through Facebook, supposedly for medicinal use. Tempo reported the
lizards sold for 500m rupiah (£27,000) each.
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