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Komodo dragon in Indonesia bites two men



In the Komodo National Park on Rinca Island in eastern Indonesia, the natural home of the largest lizard in the world, a komodo dragon attacked two rangers.


The BBC and ABC (February 6, 2013) are reporting that a park ranger was sitting at his desk when a two-metre-long (7 foot) komodo dragon entered the office. They can grow up to three metres and weigh about 70 kilograms – the weight of large human. Alarmed, the 50-year-old ranger, who had been attacked by one in 2009, jumped onto his chair, which startled the lizard. It grabbed the ranger’s leg and took a bite.

The lizard’s long, strong claws, its sharp teeth, and the venomous bite would have inflicted a painful and serious wound. The article indicated that the venom could cause paralysis and spasms, while the loss of blood could induce shock. Another ranger, aged 35, heard the calls for help, but the lizard attacked him too, and took a bite at his leg. The two men are in hospital with stitches in their leg wounds, and are being monitored for any developing infections.
It is rare for Komodo dragons to attack humans, but there have been some reported cases. In the Komodo National Park, the lizards (and other animals) roam freely. Indonesia is the natural habitat of Komodo dragons, and a number of zoological gardens throughout the world have a conservation program to ensure the continuation of the species.


Martina Nicolls is the author of The Komodo Verses: Dragon Poems.
MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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