Dragons Return to the Bronx Zoo (Video)

The world’s largest lizard species returns to New York’s Bronx Zoo when an exhibit called “Amazing Monitors” opens on Saturday (May 24).

The zoo’s three Komodo dragons, two female and one male, will rotate individually through the indoor space throughout the day. The trio are still adolescents at just over five feet (1.52 meters) in length.

“Komodo dragons are one of nature’s most amazing creatures,” Zoo Director Jim Breheny said in a news release. “They are the top predator in the environment in which they live.”

Male Komodos can grow up to nine feet long and more than 360 pounds, according to the WCS. They are native to islands of eastern Indonesia. The reason they grow so big is that they have no natural predators — except humans.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies Komodo dragons as “vulnerable.” WCS said some estimates pep the wild population at fewer than 2,500.

The Bronx Zoo has two female and one male Komodo dragons. They are about five feet long, so they are still adolescents, WCS said.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s mission is to protect wildlife and wild places around the world through science, conservation, and education programs and its network of zoos and aquarium in New York City.

Agencies/Canadajournal