If you’re used to seeing lizards like this ↓
Then seeing them like this ↓, will probably impress you big time
The komodo dragon of Komodo Island is the largest lizard on earth. He’s also the occasional maneater. Like for real. It’s eager to attack people with its long claws and even a small bite can prove fatal, due to the virulent bacteria in the dragons’ saliva.
So, all in all this makes for a pretty exciting encounter. Although we flew half the world to see these huge brutes, I wasn’t so sure to meet them after all when I set foot on land.
The only way to make a walk on the island is to go along with a park ranger. And really, do take that serious ’cause if you see the looks and the speed of those dragons, you’re very happy that you have someone willing to cover your butt.
It’s estimated that there are some 2800 komodo dragons on the Island (300 sq km). Apart from the komodo dragon, the park provides refuge for many other exciting species such as the timor deer, water buffalos and wild boars. Moreover, nature is not only remarkable on the surface, but also beneath it. In front of the island you can find one of the richest marine environments, that includes more than 1,000 species of fish within the coral reefs, mangroves and semi-enclosed bays. Sharks, manta rays, whales, dolphins and turtles: they’re all in here!
But back to the pre-historic looking lizards. Together with our guide we were hiking one of the trails on the island. Although the island is pristine and the speed is low, it can be though walking around in here. The walks are held in the middle of the day, when the dragons are the least active and are trying to hide in the shade.
Scary enough, apparently the dragons can smell blood from miles away. Therefore those with open wounds and women that are having their period are not allowed ashore unfortunately.
Due to all of the warnings, the level of alertness was quite high in my case. You expect the dragons to pounce out of the bushes at any moment, like you’re in some Jurassic Park scene. Luckily, when we finally found one, all it did was lying flat and playing dead on the ground.
You never know how many you’ll see on a day, or if you’ll even see one at all. We were quite lucky at the end of the hike. Over there there were several dragons close to one another. When they started to wake up and began moving their big bodies I suddenly felt it was time to go back to the boat – but I knocked it off the bucket list for sure!
Here’s where to find those giants! ↓
