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Why
Komodo Island
is special
 This modest sized island is home to about half the earth's remaining 4,000 Komodo dragons, the world's largest
lizards (see photo).
They measure up to 3 meters (10 feet) in length and can weigh up to 135 kilograms (300 pounds).
Fierce
carnivores
Komodo dragons hunt live animals including wild boar, deer and even large water buffalo. If their powerful
serrated-tooth jaws do not kill the prey, the deadly bacteria in their mouths eventually will.
The Komodo dragons are also cannibalistic.
A full-grown adult can run and swim
faster than you can, though there is no confirmed account of a
Komodo dragon killing a human being.
Organized
feeding frenzies
Fresh-killed meat is fed to a group of
Komodo dragons early each morning - for the sake of tourists who stand behind a protective fence. The site is about a 2-hour walk from the Komodo Island ranger center.
Some tourists prefer to skip the
feeding-frenzy event and, instead, go on Komodo dragon spotting hikes (but, as all tourists
most do, with a ranger or expert
guide).
How
to get
to Komodo Island
The island is roughly 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Bali. Most of its 20,000+ annual tourists are
cruise ship passengers or members of 2 to 3 day package tours.
Independent traveler? Fly from Bali to Bima (on Sunbawa Island)
and take a boat to Komodo Island.
Accommodations
Most visitors come on day trips, but if you would like to stay over, there are rudimentary accommodations at the Komodo Island ranger center.
Other Komodo
dragon natural habitats
The giant lizard predators also reside on the nearby islands of Rinca, Mota and Flores. However, they are
harder to spot on those islands than on Komodo Island.
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