Are Komodo Dragons Endangered? First Successful Hatch in Australia May Help Solve Population Problem

The Australian Reptile Park recently announced the hatching of Komodo dragons for the first time in Australia.

As indicated in an IFL Science! report that Komodo dragons had never been successfully hatched in this country until now.

Hatching these animal species is not an easy task as the eggs require a seven-month incubation.

Many things can go wrong during the incubation period, and even getting the eggs fertilized takes a lot of risks, as mating among Komodo dragons can be anything from scratching and licking to wrestling and biting.

First 3 Dragons Hatched in Australia

According to Jake Meney, Head Reptile Keeper, a lot of work is going into breeding Komodo dragons. He added that these are "two animals that could potentially kill each other" and inflict severe damage to keepers like him.

It was a bit "touch and go," Meney continued explaining, during the preliminary introductions, although the zoo's female turned receptive and the pair mated successfully, which resulted in the hatching of what he described as "three perfect dragons."

The baby dragons are born to their parents, Kraken and Daenerys, and all of them pass their first-week health checks. Currently, they weigh from 112 to 116 grams and are only 40 centimeters in length, although, with good care, they'll become much larger as Komodo dragons are the world's largest lizards.

As specified in a similar Australian Associated Press report via Yahoo! News, adult Komodo dragons typically weigh roughly 154 pounds, with the longest validated length being 10.3 feet.

It may be a long way then, although the babies are already quite on their way, having been consuming insects.

The First Zoo in Australia to Successfully Breed and Hatch Komodo Dragons

The Australian Reptile Park is now the first Australian Zoo to have successfully bred and hatched Komodo dragons since no other facility, sanctuary, or zoo in the country has ever done this.

A Live Science report specified that the first time Komodo dragons were hatched outside Indonesia was at the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington in the United States in 1992.

Currently, Komodo dragons are listed on the IUCN Red Lis for Endangered Species as "Vulnerable." They are facing threats from human encroachment, poaching, and storage of egg-laying females.

Guaranteeing Successful Raising of the Hatchlings

The arrivals of the three baby dragons are good news for the species as it is a demonstration of captive breeding programs that can be successful.

Also, according to Meney, the next stage is guaranteeing the successful raising of such hatchlings. He added they have plans to move the Komodo dragons onto exhibition in a purpose-built home for them soon and keep them up to their feeding routine and regular health checks.

The said babies are growing pretty fast within their first year, and the reptile keepers are hoping for them to reach nearly three feet in length and two pounds in weight.

A report about the first Komodo dragons to hatch in Australia is shown on Australian Park Reptile's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Endangered Animals in Science Times.