Up close and personal with the Komodo dragon
Jock Paul, Contributor, Rinca, East Nusa Tenggara
When a reptile is over two meters long, weighs 150 kilograms and has skin as thick and strong as bone, it does not need to hide. In fact, the largest lizard on earth can walk wherever it wants.
On my trip to the Komodo National Park, it did not take long to appreciate what this confidence means for the Komodo dragons.
Like all visitors I arrived at the entrance of the park on Rinca Island by boat, hoping but not sure that I would spot a Komodo dragon during my visit. So I was surprised when before I even set foot on the island, my heart jumped and I held my breath.
An adult Komodo dragon stood about three meters away from me, looking even more menacing and prehistoric in real life than it had in photos. I stood frozen, glad to be standing on the edge of the dock, five feet off the ground, and with a clear escape path back to the boat.
After a few seconds, it reared its head slowly toward me, and crossed in front of the end of the dock.
The Komodo dragon's thick tail wagged slowly from side to side as it walked past the end of the dock and stopped under a tree less than four meters away.
Soon some crew from other docked boats gathered around. They weren't comfortable about being near to the Komodo dragon either, but had at least seen one before. Two men grabbed large branches, and shook the sticks at the animal.
It seemed to pay no attention, but a minute later it slowly lumbered away from us to the water.
A five-minute walk took us to the Ranger station where guests pay the Rp 25,000 entrance fee, and register. Along with the twenty-something travelers I shared the two-and-a-half-hour boat ride from the port of Labuanbajo in Flores with, I decided to take a guided walk. We did not want to encounter another Komodo dragon on our own.
Although we hired a park ranger mainly for protection and safety, he proved very knowledgeable. There are trails throughout Rinca and it is possible to walk around the island independently, but the Rp 10,000 fee for a guide is good value.
The one-and-a-half-hour walk was hot, but surprisingly scenic. The park ranger identified a much greater variety of life than I expected to see, considering that the national park lies within one of the most rugged, dry and barren parts of Indonesia.
Most importantly our guide found an especially photogenic Komodo basking in the sun. In the heat of the day the resting animal appeared lazy and docile and we were encouraged to get excellent photos from an uncomfortably close range.
Seeing this massive specimen in its natural habitat highlighted why these dinosaur-like creatures have captured the imagination, interest and fear of people around the world ever since they were "discovered" on the remote Lesser Sunda Islands nearly one hundred years ago.
Even as the Komodo dragons walk slowly in the mid-day heat to conserve energy, the efficiency and power of these eating machines is unmistakable.
As it moves on its short powerful legs, the Komodo dragon's long forked tongue always protrudes from its half open mouth to smell for prey, which it can detect as far as eight kilometers away. Toxic saliva drips from its teeth-lined jaw.
Before they come to dominate the landscape of the Komodo National Park, young dragons spend the first years of their lives mainly in the trees, eating insects, small rodents and birds, and hiding from predators, which include other Komodos. Mature dragons are omnivorous, and rely on their keen sense of smell to eat anything from small insects to deer, wild dogs and even water buffalo.
The Komodo dragon is found only on the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Padar and parts of western Flores. There are about 1,600 dragons on the island of Komodo and about 1,000 on Rinca. Why the dragons evolved on these islands and nowhere else remains a mystery.
Both Rinca and Komodo have ranger and research stations that also offer resources and souvenirs of Komodo dragons, and at which one or two Komodo dragons make their home permanently, so visitors are almost guaranteed to spot at least these Komodo dragons.
Like Rinca, the island of Komodo also offers a variety of walks along designated hiking trails, but Rinca is home to more trees and a greater diversity of plants. When visiting the park it is best to arrive early in the morning as the chances of seeing Komodos are better and the heat is less intense, making a longer walk more appealing. --------------------------------------------- Getting there Both of the islands are only accessible by boat. Boats can be chartered from Labuanbajo for the two and a half hour trip to Rinca for Rp 200,000. Admission to the park is Rp 25,000, and guides will lead visitors on a walk around the island for Rp 10,000.
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