Komodo Island Dragon to remain shut for one year

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Komodo Dragon Island, home of world’s largest lizards will be closed for a year to the visitors.

After the theft of 41 Komodo Dragons by an alleged smuggling  ring that sold them abroad for 500 million rupiah each the move came into action.

The popular tourist attraction will be shut by the government officials for the visitors from January 2020.

A conservation programme will be attempted to increase the lizard population  which stands at 5,000 during the island’s closure.

Per month the Komodo National Park, comprising the larger islands of Komodo, Padar and Rinca along with smaller ones have received 10,250 visitors per month last year.

It is found that 95 per cent of them were foreign tourists.

The rest of the UNESCO listed national park will remain open as per the reports.

Last summer a fire allegedly started by a tossed cigarette had razed 10 hectares of land, it is in the pipeline to cap the number of visitors to the park to 5,000 a month.

The travellers will have to register online before travelling there  after the new regulations are made.

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