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In July, the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, Viktor B. Laiskodat, announced that the island needed to be closed to prevent tourism from affecting the mating and hatching of dragons, as well as to minimize the risk of poaching of prey belonging to reptiles, including deer, buffalo, and wild boars. According to the plan, the island will reopen to visitors after about a year.
Indonesia announced in July a plan to close the island, home to the rare and controversial animal species.
However, recently, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said data shows that the Komodo dragon population, the largest living wild lizard species, has been stable for more than a decade.
The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry also stated that provincial and central governments will cooperate to renovate tourist attractions, improve ranger training, provide better equipment for patrol forces, and establish a research center on Komodo dragons.
Overtourism activities can affect the mating and hatching processes of dragons.
Over 176,000 tourists visited Komodo National Park in 2018, many of them coming solely to see the dragons, which are found only in the wild in eastern Indonesia.
Eastern Indonesia has always attracted tourists with its pristine and abundant natural beauty.
According to government data, 1,727 Komodo dragons live on the island of the same name. Rinca, another island in the National Park, is home to a further 1,049 dragons.
