Thursday 1 May 2014

Met The Komodo Dragon at Rinca Island

The main destination around Kanawa Island is The Komodo Dragon, the largest lizard on Earth. To find this awesome creature, we need to go to the Rinca Island or Komodo Island, an little island where a group of the Dragon live. In 1991 This island become UNESCO World Heritage Site, to protect all the species around there.



I just thinking, how the local people there can live together in the same island with the dangerous animal "Komodo" Dragon. Are they are not worry the komodo will bite and kill them...?.

I try to search on google and i find an old myth story. Local people there believe if Komodo Dragon is their ancestors. That's why they live together and respect each other. Great wisdom !



Today we decide to take a day tour to met the Dragon. Our destination is Rinca Island, 2 hour distance by boat from Kanawa Island Resort. The Resort offer a day tour start from 8 AM after the breakfast. And for this we need to pay 42U$/ person. The destination is visit best snorkeling area, Rinca Island and also the fisherman village.

For a moment,i feel like back to the Jurassic Park era when our boat start roaming around. Old hill surrounding without any activity there. Seem like this area not get any evolution effect. Freeze on old age.



When you reached Rinca, you should pay for the ticket and also the ranger. The price is around 6 U$/person. You can't walk alone there, Komodo is wild animal and dangerous one, you need walk with the ranger guide in a group and follow the track. There is 3 kind of route they have, short , medium and long track. We choose the medium track because the weather not so good.



Komodo Dragons are very large, sometimes weighing as much as 300 pounds (135 kg) and reaching staggering lengths of up to 10 feet (3 meters). The female dragons are smaller, reaching maximum lengths of 8 feet (2.4 meters) and weighing in at 150 pounds (68 kg). Komodo Dragons are low to the ground with short, bowed legs. They are covered with grayish-brown, scaly skin with a very long tail. They have jagged, serrated teeth, positioned much like a shark’s, and a yellow tongue.



Komodo dragons are carnivores, meaning they eat only meat. They stalk live prey, and they are also scavengers, feeding on carrion, or the carcasses of dead animals. They feed on a range of large animals, including monkeys, wild boar, deer, water buffalo, goats, snakes, livestock such as sheep and cattle. Komodo dragons are cannibalistic, and adults will prey on young ones as well as old and sick dragons. Other dragons may make up to 10% of a dragon's diet. They have been known to stalk human beings.



Im feel bit scary when the ranger ask me to take picture with the dragon. I just say hmmmmm, they will bite me..?, and he just smile. Hope the dragon love vegetarian women :) , So here we go....



To be continued..

5 comments:

  1. Haha, who will not a love a sweet woman like you? Glad you got back safe, Mareta - look at those eyes of the dragon! They sure look scary!

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  2. True , sweet pretty and lovely as always ! , have great journey

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  3. I had several Indonesian women working for me over the last several years. Graceful, beautiful and smart. There's a lot to be said for being five footish and under a hundred pounds. They just glide around, as opposed to being a 5'8" 150 pound wildebeest who can't move without effort. Used to kid one of the older women as being from Komodo Island. Beautiful photography.

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