Komodo Island is an island in East Nusa Tenggara Province that is home to the Komodo Ancient Legend. It is also part of the Komodo National Park Area, which the Central Government currently manages. Administratively, the island is part of the West Manggarai district’s Komodo sub-district. Just like Labuan Bajo, which has the same sub-district.
The ancient Komodo dragon’s habitat breeds well on Komodo Island, and its population is well maintained and allowed to remain natural. Komodo dragons are purposefully left and released so visitors can see them in their natural habitat. Accompanied by a Ranger who oversees visitors’ comfort and safety for exploring Komodo island.
Komodo Island History
The Dutch colonial government assigned Lieutenant Jacques Karel Henri van Steyn van Hensbroek to Flores Island in eastern Indonesia in 1910. He was intrigued when locals told him about a massive “land crocodile” living on Komodo Island.
Henri traveled to the island, intrigued, to investigate for himself. He returned with photographs and the animal skin, which he sent to Pieter Ouwens. Then director of the Java Zoological Museum and Botanical Gardens Buitenzorg (Now Bogor Botanical Gardens).
The creature was a huge giant lizard, not a crocodile. Ouwens recognized that this animal was novel to science and published the first formal description of the animal. Which we now call the Komodo dragon (Varanus Komodoensis)
Folklore
This Komodo historical legend, known as Orah in the local language, tells of an ancient princess named Putri Naga. She grew up on an island before marrying Moja, a young man from the opposite island.
To cut a long story short, the princess became pregnant and gave birth to twin sons. It’s just that one of them looks like a lizard and makes this couple uncomfortable.
They named the lizard-like son Orah and the normal baby Gerong. Orah was exiled to the forest, while Princess Naga and Moja raised Gerong. Gerong grew into a strong man over time. Gerong was hunting deer when he came across a giant lizard, which he chased and was about to spear.
However, Princess Naga appeared out of nowhere and forbade him from killing the giant lizard, now known as the Komodo dragon. Princess Naga revealed to Gerong that the lizard was Orah, her twin sister.
The indigenous Komodo dragon people strongly believe in this story and treat this animal as a sibling who must be cared for like a human.
Deadly Venom
Komodo dragons are among the reptiles with deadly venom. The lethal ability is due to the bite’s strength and the evil toxins that emerge from thousands of glands on its gums. Its saliva contains thousands of deadly bacteria, according to some.
However, there is evidence that Komodo dragons kill their prey solely through the strength of their bites and chops rather than by waiting for their escaped prey to weaken and die. When its prey collapses helplessly and dies, this ferocious carnivore will track it down and feed at leisure.
