A construction worker has been seriously wounded after he was attacked by a Komodo dragon while helping to build a £4.8 million resort apparently inspired by the movie Jurassic Park.
Elias Agas, 46, was rushed to hospital by speedboat from Rinca Island, Indonesia, after one of the giant lizards had “torn several parts of his body”, Media Indonesia quoted the island’s head of security as saying.
“Upon receiving this information, fellow rangers … were at the location immediately [and] managed to evacuate the victim,” Julius Buki said.
The planned resort on Rinca Island, which is home to thousands of Komodo dragons, has already sparked concern among conservationists who fear it will only harm the lizards, which are classified as vulnerable to extinction by experts.
It was dubbed “Jurassic Park” after architects shared a video of the planned attraction – which will allow tourists to get up-close with Komodos – alongside the iconic theme tune from the 1993 dinosaur movie.
The design shown in the video features the lizards surrounded by a moat and circular walkways for tourists to view them.
The attack on Mr Agas comes just months after an Instagram photo was widely shared which appeared to show a Komodo dragon confronting one of the resort’s construction trucks.
“This is probably the first truck to enter the Komodo dragon conservation area since the Komodo dragon came to the world's attention in 1912,” Gregorius Afioma, an Indonesian environmental activist who shared the image said of the scene.
Komodo dragons are the largest species of lizard in the world and are found living in the wild only on a handful of small and remote Indonesian islands.
They can grow up to three metres in length, have a venomous bite and are strong enough to hunt and kill water buffalo.
