Komodo dragon kills eight-year-old boy
A Komodo dragon attacked and killed an eight-year-old boy in eastern Indonesia, the first deadly attack on a human by the giant lizard in more than 33 years, a national park spokesman said today.
The boy was mauled as he went to the toilet behind a bush on Saturday on Komodo island, said Heru Rudiharto.
“The Komodo bit him his waist and tossed him viciously from side to side,” said Rudiharto.
“The boy’s uncle threw rocks at the lizard until it let the boy go and fled. The boy died from massive bleeding half an hour later,” he said.
Wardens on Komodo have launched a hunt for the dragon, he said.
Komodos, the world’s largest lizard, are only found in the wild in a small archipelago in eastern Indonesia. Fewer than 4,000 survive.
Rudiharto said the lizards had been living side-by-side with the 1,200 people on Komodo with no fatal incident for 33 years.
“Perhaps the lizard’s natural prey has decreased because we are entering the dry season and there has been too much deer hunting,” he said.
Komodos can grow to a length of 10 feet and weigh up to 26 stones.
Thousands of tourists visit Komodo each year to see the lizards in their natural habitat.
