The Land of The Komodo Dragon

Title : The Land of The Komodo Dragon
The author : Claire Ellis
Published : Times Editions, Sinagpore1999

Scientifically, Komodo dragon is known as Varanus Komodoensis, however local language komodo known as the ora, biawak, Komodo, buaya darat (land crocodile) or mbou. They live in a cluster of tiny islands. Lying between Sumbawa and Flores Islands and scattered locales on Flores. Geography of these relatively small islands is steep hills, hills, shallow soil, long droughts and regulars fires means the vegetation is sparse and the animals few. The largest island is Komodo Island and other islands are Padar Island, Rinca Islands and Flores. The average temperature at sea level is around 270C, but there is significant variation through the year.

In 1994 Komodo estimated 3,000 Komodo in total; 1,600 on Komodo Island, 1,100 on Rinca, 70 on Gili Motong and 100 at Wai Wuul. So, to protect them from poaching, from Kingdom Bima era (local Kingdom) until now, there are many regulations have issued and UNESCO listed this animal as Man and Biosphere Area in 1977. The government of The Republic Indonesia states the area as National Park in 1980. Komodo dragon listed as ‘Rare’ by World Conservation Monitoring Center.

Komodo dragon is the largest lizard in the world in terms of overall size (weight). The animal can swim well, frequently staying well below the surface, but it is not as strong a swimmer as some other members of the monitor lizard family. Komodo also has good sense of smell to find the food and had good hearing. Like all reptiles, the Komodo must heat up its body by basking in the sun or on warm surface and cool it down in the shade or on moist surfaces.

It is very difficult to determine the sex of komodo. Mature male have two internal lateral bulges at the base of their tails, called hemi-penes. Komodo have an annual reproductive cycle. One to two months (40 to 50 days) after mating, in July to September, the female digs a hole and lays her eggs. Babies live in trees for the first few years, partly to escape the cannibalistic adults, which are too heavy to climb trees.

Besides enjoying the exotic komodo, visitor can meet other exotic animal such as Deer, Water Buffalo, Monkeys, Civet Cat, Rodents and small Mammals, Bats, Snakes, Crocodiles and other Reptiles, Birds, Nesting turtles and Spiders.

The island in the komodo region are dry and harsh, but below the surface of the water the scene is the exact opposite. Reef slopes drip with color, and marine life of all shapes and sizes enjoys the rich waters surrounding the islands. However, local fishermen use dynamite or fertilizer for explosive fishing. As a result, large numbers of unwanted and juvenile fish are killed and the coral is shattered into small pieces, reducing the reef to rubble.

Like many ethnics groups within Indonesia, the descendants of the Ata Modo – the indigenous inhabitants of Komodo Island- have retained their ancient beliefs while being staunchly Moslem. Anthropological work by Rafael Karjon reveals that they believe in three main supernatural forces, Ina Kama, who protects the people and the whole island; Ina Babu, who protects thed Komodo dargon and its twin brother, The Ata Modo; and Ina Hadija, who protects the water sources and the whole community. Rituals and offerings are made to these three to ensure that harmony continues.

The relationship overseen by Ina Babu refers to an ancient myth claiming that the Komodo dragon and the Ata Modo are kin. Both are believed to have been created at the same time in the following way : the beautiful spirit woman Putri Naga appeared to a man, Najo, who living on Komodo Island. They married and she subsequently gave birth to twins. The first baby was a Komodo dragon while the second was a human. Embarrassed, the mother did not return to her husband on the village, but lived in a cave in the forest. After a few years, the Komodo dragon went its own way and the child founded the Ata Modo clan.

Traveling to Komodo Island has never been easy. To get there you can do it by yourself. The two airports closes to the park are Bima, Sumbawa and Labuan Bajo, Flores. Two government-run ferries ply daily, linking Sape, a short drive from Bima, and Labuan Bajo, stopping midway at Loh Liang, Komodo Island. There is accommodation for about 40 people at Loh Liang but no private cooking facilities. However, you can choose other alternative, a number of companies run tours especially to Komodo National Park, while others include it on longer trip through Nusa Tenggara. The best time to visit this park is in April or May. Before visiting, they should check with their doctor to ensure that they are vaccinated against endemic diseases, have appropriate medicine and are in good physical shape.

Attacks by Komodo dragons on humans should be one of the easiest areas to research, but it is actually the hardest. Until recently, the region had only an oral history, and time has faded memories. By far the most famous tale of a komodo dragon eating a man is that of the Swiss baron – Baron Rudolph von Reding- who disappeared on the island in 1974. The grave of the Baron stands high in the hills at Poreng.

Abdul Rahman Jamil/ ADS6M3