“Nobody working in a zoo is happy to see a species only existing in a zoo.”ĭr. “I think that would be an awful indictment,” he said. If Komodo dragons drop past a critically endangered status, they could become what’s known as “extinct in the wild,” and survive only in captivity. “It’s a flagship for the state of reptiles worldwide,” Dr. Other reptilian species - many of which are also isolated on islands - are vulnerable to the same threats. “The real concern is what’s going to happen in the future,” Mr. estimates that there are just 1,380 adult Komodo dragons and another 2,000 juveniles left in the wild. About 25 years ago, somewhere from 5,000 to 8,000 Komodo dragons roamed the Earth. Their ranks have already experienced a steep decline. Despite their global charisma, he said, “they do not have a magic shield.” On Flores, residents compete with the dragons for deer and boars as well, and consider the carnivorous lizards a threat to cattle, goats and other livestock. But outside of the dragons’ park safe haven, urbanization and agricultural clearing are also factors. Factors driving this habitat loss include the rising temperatures and sea levels associated with climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature warns that suitable Komodo dragon habitat is expected to shrink by at least 30 percent in the next 45 years.

Hilton-Taylor, head of the international group’s Red List unit, which assesses the conservation risk of 138,000 species and counting.

“It’s had a genuine change in status, a deterioration,” said Mr. Komodo dragons, previously considered a “vulnerable” species, were reclassified last weekend as “endangered” by the conservation organization. “It’s like seeing your storybooks come alive.”īut now, the world’s largest living lizard has moved one step closer to being wiped out in the wild. “It’s got this fearsome reputation,” said Craig Hilton-Taylor, a biologist with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Females are even known to eat their own offspring. The dragons can detect flesh from miles away while hunting an impressive array of prey, including deer, boars, horses, water buffalo - and one another. The carnivorous lizard can grow up to 10 feet long and is equipped with a forked tongue, serrated teeth, armored scales and venom-laced saliva. The Komodo dragon has earned its status as a reptilian icon.

Is comodo dragon safe