Komodo (island)
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Komodo (
Komodo is part of the
Description
Komodo is part of the Lesser Sunda chain of islands and forms part of the Komodo National Park. It lies between the substantially larger neighbouring islands Sumbawa to the west and Flores to the east. The island's surface area covers 291 square kilometres. Komodo Island is home to the Komodo Dragon, the largest lizard on earth.
History
The earliest stories (among Westerners) of a dragon-like animal existing in the region circulated widely and attracted considerable attention. But no Westerner visited the island to check the story until official interest was sparked in the early 1910s by stories from Dutch sailors based in Flores in East Nusa Tenggara about a mysterious creature. The creature was allegedly a dragon which inhabited a small island in the Lesser Sunda Islands (the main island of which is Flores).
Hearing the reports, Lieutenant Steyn van Hensbroek, an official of the Dutch Colonial Administration in Flores, planned a trip to Komodo Island to continue the search. He armed himself, and accompanied by a team of soldiers, landed on the island. After a few days, Hensbroek managed to kill one of the lizards to investigate.
Realising the significance of the dragons on Komodo Island as an endangered species, the Dutch government issued a regulation on the protection of the lizards on Komodo Island in 1915.
In the decades since the Komodo became known to non-locals, various scientific expeditions from a range of countries have carried out field research on the dragons on Komodo Island.[1]
People
Komodo had a population of about 1,800 at the 2020 census, spread out over the island and in the main
Ecology
Komodo is part of the
Fauna
The Komodo dragon, the world's largest living lizard, takes its name from the island. A type of monitor lizard, it inhabits Komodo Island and some of the smaller surrounding islands, as well as part of western Flores. Javan deer also inhabit the island, though they are not native. Other animals include water buffalo, banded pigs, civets, cockatoos and macaque
Pink beach
Komodo contains a beach with "pink" sand, one of only seven in the world. The sand appears pink because it is a mixture of white sand combined with red sand, formed from pieces of Foraminifera.
2020 closure
In April 2019, Indonesian authorities announced a plan to close Komodo Island to tourism for a limited period to allow for conservation efforts amid concerns over animal-smuggling.
See also
External links
References
- ^ "Sejarah Pulau Komodo". indonesiaindonesia.com.
- ^ Penduduk Hidup Bersama Komodo
- ^ "Komodo considers tourist ban to help boost dragon numbers". The Guardian. 4 April 2019.
- ^ 'Komodo Island to be closed in 2020: Agency', The Jakarta Post, 18 July 2019.
- ^ Rebecca Henscheke and Callistasia Wijaya, 'The fight for Dragon Island', BBC World, 25 July 2019.