One Thousand Komodo Dragons With Chips

Komodo / DOK. AMONG

JAKARTA - Director General of Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Wiratno said that around 1,000 Komodo dragons in Komodo National Park have been fitted with chips. Chip installation is done to make monitoring easier.

Wiratno said the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) had data on the Komodo dragon population as a result of continuous monitoring for 15 years with the Komodo Survival Program and the Komodo National Park Hall in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

From the results of the 2018 data collection, it is known that the protected endemic animal population has reached 2,897 individuals. Whereas in 2019, that number rose to 3,022 individuals.

"So out of these thousands of Komodo dragons, 1,000 have already been installed with chips. Yes, so if chips are installed continuously, it is to monitor whether they are old or new Komodo dragons," said Wiratno as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, October 28.

Apart from Komodo Island and Rinca Island, on Padar Island which is often used by tourists for selfies, there are seven Komodo dragons. Then there are 69 in Gili Monang and 91 in Nusa Konde.

Wiratno said there are about 70 valleys in Komodo National Park which have a total area of 173,300 hectares (ha). A total of 40 valleys are on Komodo Island and the remaining 30 are on Rinca Island.

"So Loh Liang and Loh Buaya are the ones inhabited by Komodo dragons and interact with the community," he said.

There is also intensive guarding in the national park to ensure that there is no more deer hunting on the western part of Komodo Island, so that the natural food of the Komodo dragons is preserved. Previously there was hunting from the people in the Sape and Bima areas which are adjacent to the national park area.

He said that if it is protected seriously and consistently, by minimizing contact with animals, tourism activities at this time are considered not to endanger the Komodo dragon population in the Loh Buaya Valley area of 500 hectares, or about 2.5 percent of the area of Rinca Island which reaches 20,000 hectares which the arrangement of facilities and infrastructure is being carried out.