Imagine being on a tropical island fishing. You get hungry, so you climb a fruit tree. You fall. Dazed, you sit for a moment to gather your wits … and are attacked by two of the world's largest lizards
That was the fate of an Indonesian man recently, who became the latest in an increasing (though still rare) number of attacks on humans by Komodo dragons. Komodos can reach 10 feet long and weigh 300 pounds.
Muhamad Anwar died from loss of blood. Had he survived his wounds, he likely would have suffered the next most dangerous threat after a Komodo attack: infection from the 50 kinds of bacteria in a Komodo mouth.
Here's more of what search reveals about Komodo dragons:
Attacks: Although rare – only about 20 fatal attacks in the last century - there have been two in the last two years. The other was a 9-year-old boy.
In the wild: If you're brave enough to try to face one in the wild, they can be found in only five places: the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami, all in Indonesia. There are only 4,000 in the wild, and they are considered endangered.
Danger free: If you'd prefer an impassable barrier between you and the dragon, you can see them at the San Diego Zoo, the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and the Palm Beach Zoo. And they're not the only ones.
If you want to see babies, you may have to go farther. A zoo in Indonesia recently reported that 32 baby Komodos had been hatched.
Komodo diet: Watching a Komodo dragon eat, however, is not for the faint of heart. Ever see a lizard eat a deer, or a pig … whole?
They say you are what you eat. Ten percent of a Komodo dragon's diet is … other Komodos.
Size matters: They are the heaviest lizard in the world, but not the longest.
Komodo trivia: The arrival of a Komodo dragon exhibit in New York in the 1920s inspired what movie?
-MSN.com-
