| |
|
|
|
This species is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and as vulnerable by the 2000 IUCN Redlist. This species
is vulnerable due to its restricted range and the possibility
of extinction from a number of threats such as decline or loss
of prey, habitat loss, competition with exotic species, and natural
catastrophes. Legal protection of Komodos has reduced commercial
hunting, but they are sometimes poisoned by villagers to protect
children and domestic animals. The management and conservation
objective for this species is to maintain a genetically-viable,
self-sustaining, free-living Komodo dragon population. Recent
estimates place the total population of the Komodo monitor at
less than 3,000 individuals within the Komodo National Park.
Komodos caught in the wild don't survive well in captivity. They
don't reproduce readily, and often die from infections and parasitic
diseases. But some hatchlings born in zoos have done well.
|