Komodo Dragons

Indonesia – the Lesser Sundas – Komodo Island

Dragons, 2008

Armed only with a forked stick, the ranger walked slowly ahead us looking for the fabled Komodo dragon.  When he raised his hand, we all bunched up around him, peering ahead through the open, scrubby forest.  The guide pointed ahead – we looked – he pointed and edged forward – we edged too.  Today’s superb nature films set our expectations, so we anticipated a fast moving, huge lizard – really a dragon.  Instead, lying in an opening near a rock-edged, scummy pond, was what looked like a mound of dirt.  Upon closer inspection, the mound morphed into a Komodo dragon at rest – flat on its belly, legs splayed out, looking around leisurely.

Then it opened is huge maw – teeth dripping with viscous saliva; a slimy yawn or perhaps a warning for unwary, overconfident tourists.

  

 It finally got up, its lizard tongue flicking in and out – testing the air for tourists perhaps - and  spraddle-legged, it ambled off, ignoring us completely – which is good.

Guides with forked sticks used to protect the tourists from dragons.

Deer fall prey to dragons, often dying of the bite

 The claws are fearsome.

We were on a birding trip in the Lesser Sundas of Indonesia which includes the island of Komodo, one of two places where the Komodo dragon still lives and roams free.  The dragons are prehistoric and the land they live in exudes the same primordial atmosphere.