Komodo dragons are considered the “last dragons in the world”. So far, a visit to the three-meter-long lizards on the Indonesian island of Komodo cost around nine euros. That’s about to change.
The visit to the island of Komodo, where several thousand Komodo dragons are at home, is expected to cost the equivalent of 440 euros according to plans by the authorities. So far, the entrance fee for the national park has been slightly more than 9 euros. The Komodo monitors will be up to three meters long and weigh more than 70 kilograms. Because of their dark appearance, they are also called Komodo dragons.
The island is about 1500 kilometres away from the Indonesian capital Jakarta. The governor of the province there, Victor Laiskodat, announced in the daily “Kompas” that he wanted to make Komodo a luxury tourist destination. “This is a place only for people who have money,” the governor said. “This is a place for extraordinary people. If you don’t have enough money, you don’t have to come.”
In total there are about 5000 monitors at home on Komodo. The animals – sometimes called the “last dragons in the world” – have a reputation for being quite aggressive. However, attacks on humans are rare. Currently, about 10,000 visitors come to the island every month.
