Was the Komodo dragon a rumored monster?
There were rumors of giant “land crocodiles” on the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. Even among the Dutch, who ruled the region as a colony at the time, stories of a dragon-like creature were told half in disbelief.
How it was discovered and confirmed
In 1910, an officer of the Dutch colonial army heard rumors of “land crocodiles” on Komodo Island, investigated, killed an animal and sent photos and the skin to a museum. In response, Peter Ouwens, director of the Zoological Museum in Bogor, Java, described it as a new species in 1912, and the Komodo monitor officially entered the world of science. In the 1920s an American expedition brought back living animals, which caused a sensation as “living dragons.”
What we know today
The Komodo dragon is the world’s largest lizard, reaching 3 meters in length, and attacks large prey such as deer and wild boar. It is known to have venom-producing glands in its mouth. It lives only on a few islands such as Komodo and is listed as endangered. Its habitat, Komodo National Park, is a World Heritage site.
