TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Residents of Bari Village in West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, captured a komodo dragon last week. The animal was found wandering near their village, which is located outside the National Komodo Park.
"A komodo dragon was found by Bari villagers last Saturday," the National Komodo Park's head of Forest Ecosystem Control, Ande Kefi, said on Monday, July 23.
Ande said that the villagers were confused why the komodo was wandering around in their village. Villagers who were not educated about what komodos are had treated the endangered animal as pest, "some were even killed," he added.
Ande went on to explain that in actuality komodo dragons don’t just live in the national park, but they also breed in and habitate areas the northern parts of Flores Island.
Ande and his team have identified the komodo dragon that was captured in Bari. They also educate the villagers about the species, and so they agreed to return the animal to its breeding grounds.
"We have informed them about komodo dragons—and ask them to help keep them safe as they are an endangered species," he remarked.
ANTARA