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East Nusa Tenggara
Komodo Island
A small island of 280 square km, Komodo is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores.
It is famous for its giant lizards, considered the last of their kind remaining in the world today,
the Komodo Dragon. Called "ora" by the local people, Komodo ".Dragon" (Varanus Komodoensis) is
actually a giant monitor lizard. Growing up to 3 to 4 meters in length, its ances-tors roamed the
earth up to about half a million years ago. Komodos live on goats, deer, and even the carcasses of
its own kind. The only human population on the island is at the fishing village called Komodo who
supplement their income breeding goats which are used to feed the lizards. The Komodo is
protected by the law and although they are considered harmless, it is advisable to keep them at a
distance. Komodo Island is now a nature reserve, home to a number of rare bird species, deer,
and wild pigs, which are prey to the lizards as well.
Other places of interest:
This page: http://www.cockatoo.com/english/indonesia/indonesia_east_nusa_komodo.htm
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