A historic event has occurred at Brox Zoo when, for the first time since its opening in 1899, six Komodo dragons have been born there.This milestone is a very important step for wildlife conservation, as the species is classified as endangered by the International Office for Conservation of Nature and maturation among these reptiles can often be problematic, especially below the closures.
Image of the first Komodo dragons born at Brox Zoo. Image credits: Jυlie Larsep Maher © Bropx Zoo/WCS
The Komodo dragon’s natural habitat can be found on Komodo Island and some neighboring islands in the Lesser Sudas Islands of Indonesia, but they probably evolved in Australia more than 4 million years ago. They have an excellent sense of smell and a venomous bite, which reduces the blood pressure of their prey, causing massive bleeding, also preventing clotting in the process, causing shock.
Interestingly, since female dragon trees have both male and female sex chromosomes, they can reproduce without any males approaching. This process is called partegepesis, a reproductive strategy in which an egg capsule develops into an embryo without being fertilized by a male. However, only male offspring can be born with this method of reproduction, and the small number of females within a group of dragons can lead to cross-breeding.
Additionally, of the fewer than 2,500 Komodo dragons left in the wild, only 350 are breeding females. Pargepesis is therefore not the best solution for this endangered species, and adult dragons often also eat smaller members of their own species.
So the hatching and coming of age of Komodo dragons is not such a simple idea. That’s why animal husbandry at Brox Zoo is a success story.
Komodo dragons are the largest lizards on Earth. Image credits: NAPARAZZI
The successful breeding at Brox Zoo is the result of a cooperative breeding and mapping program run by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, called the Species Survival Plan, and of course, years of hard work by zoo staff. Komodos had to be carefully monitored, because females are simply ready to mate once every year, and when they pair up to mate, the behavior of adult lizards can become aggressive.
Fortunately, this time the introduction of the Komodo parents cried softly, and the female lizard laid her eggs a month after maturation. The eggs were placed in an incubator, where they hatched after 212 days.
In their natural habitat, baby Komodo dragons head to safe tree elevations to avoid predators, including other adult dragons. At Brox Zoo, they don’t have to worry about falling prey to other predators, but can still freely climb branches and pieces of bark in their enclosure.
The young will almost immediately begin hunting smaller insects and lizards after hatching. They take between 8 and 9 years to mature into fully grown adults, and are estimated to live up to 30 years. When fully grown, this new group of dragons will join the AZA Species Survival Pest breeding program to help improve the species and its genetic diversity.
According to Dop Boyer, curator of herpetology at Brox Zoo, these hatchlings represent a hopeful future for the species. “They will be wonderful ambassadors for their wild counterparts while helping us raise awareness of conservation needs.”
Image of young Komodo dragons that were successfully hatched. They feel safe among trees and branches. Image credits: Jυlie Larsep Maher © Bropx Zoo/WCS
This event actually holds a hopeful future for the species; Improving the geographic diversity of a species improves the health of a population by including alleles (or a pair of gepes) that may be valuable in resisting diseases, pests, and other stresses.
Popular interest in these large lizards has made the species become an ecotourism attraction, which has enhanced its protection. The Icelandic government has also made efforts to preserve Komodo dragons. In 1980, Komodo National Park was created to protect the Komodo dragon and its habitat. The courtyard park has even organized patrols to prevent poaching in the area.
Komodo dragon in the Komodo National Park in Iпdoпesia. Image credits: Adhi Rachdiaп from Iпdoпesia
Komodo dragons are indeed a unique species, and we hope that conservation efforts will bear fruit and one day we will see these animals thrive again.
