Komodo Dragon

CONTEXT

Thanks to the presence of a couple of Komodo dragons at Faunia (Madrid, Spain), this park and the Parques Reunidos Foundation are members since 2014 of an in-situ conservation program carried out by EAZA-EEP and led by Chester Zoo in Flores Island (Komodo Survival Program, Indonesian Central Bureau for Conservation of Nature Resources – Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam BBKSDA).

THREATS

The Komodo dragon can be found on five different islands of South-East Asia: Gili Motang, Flores Island, Komodo, Nusa Kode and Rinca. On Flores Island –where this project is implemented- the most common threats faced by this species, are above all, anthropogenic. First, the excessive hunting of deer has reduced a basic source of food for these animals. On another note, slash-and-burn agriculture or the presence of wild dogs has cornered the Komodo dragon’s population.

OBJECTIVES

Like all participants on the project who host Komodo dragons in their facilities, the Parques Reunidos Foundation contributes with an annual donation of 1.000€ to support conservation efforts.

The objective of the program is to ensure the sustainable survival of the species in the long run, and includes the following activities:

• Research and monitorization of the species’ biological and ecological diversity in its distribution area.
• Staff education and training at Indonesian national parks to implement the mentioned research and monitorization.
• Supply and Spreading of reliable and easily accessible information about the biology, ecology, handling and conservation of varanids, their natural habitat and their biological diversity.
• Promotion of development and sensitization initiatives towards the sustainable conservation of local populations.