Komodo Island, famous for being the home to its namesake dragon, is closing from 2020 after police caught a ring of ‘lizard smugglers’ last month.
The Indonesian government will temporarily close the island from January 2020 in order to help grow the Komodo dragon population, with conservationists planning to examine the giant lizard’s food supply and work on preserving the natural environment.
Weighing up to 200 pounds and measuring up to three metres long, the Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard in the world. According to the World Animal Foundation, there are only 6,000 left in the wild and the protected species can be found solely in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park.
The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry recently revealed it had busted a dragon-smuggling ring which was planning to sell 41 of the dragons for $35,000 (£26,600) each. News of the island's impending closure followed shortly after.
According to Indonesia’s Tempo newspaper, there has been no news of when the island will re-open to tourists.
However, tourists will still be able to see the dragon after Komodo Island’s closure as the Komodo National Park spans multiple islands including Gili Motong and Rinca.
Earlier this year, the archipelago of Palau re-opened its ancient 14-acre Jellyfish Lake on Eil Malk Island after closing in 2016 due a drastic decline in jellyfish numbers.
An estimated 600,000 jellyfish now populate the lake and tourists are attracted there to swim with the harmless golden jellyfish that fill the waters.
