New hope rises for the
endangered lizard species, the Komodo dragon. Seven rare Komodo
dragons were hatched successfully March 10 at the Surabaya Zoo in
eastern Java, Indonesia.
The successful hatching was part of an artificial breeding program
that aims to save and increase the number of the world's largest
lizard. The breeding program involves incubation and protecting the
species from predatory adult dragons and also placing microchips in
the young lizards in order to monitor their progress.
Reports according to AFP state that nearly 21 eggs produced from
two Komodo dragons were kept in incubation at Surabaya Zoo and
monitored by the officials. The first batch was produced last year
in the month of September and the second one in the month of
October. This year, seven Komodo dragons were hatched
successfully.
"Some
of the eggs from the first Komodo did not hatch, which is normal.
We're hoping for another seven or eight from the second clutch,
which are due to hatch around April or May," zoo spokesman Anthan
Warsito was quoted as saying in AFP.
The
genders of the newly-hatched Komodo dragons are yet to be
identified. The zoo houses a total of 63 Komodo dragons.
Komodo
dragons are the largest living lizards, and are mainly found on the
Indonesian Islands. They can grow to a maximum of 10 ft in length
and can weigh up to 150 kg. They dominate the ecosystem where they
exist. They mainly feed on deer and eat a considerable amount of
carrion. They have been listed as a vulnerable species in the IUCN
Red List. The life span of these lizards is between 20-30
years. There are just 5,000 Komodo dragons left in the wild.
