A Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard and an endangered species, will be housed at a central Japan zoo, the city of Nagoya said Monday, making it the only one of its kind to be exhibited in the country.
The reptile, a 13-year-old male named "Taro," will arrive in Japan on July 18 and be exhibited at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens from around late August, the city said.
"We have finally managed to bring (a Komodo dragon) here after intense negotiations. Please look forward to it," Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura said at a press conference.
During his election campaigns, Kawamura had promised to introduce attention-grabbing animals, such as a Komodo dragon, to the zoo.
Singapore Zoo, which has been housing the giant lizard, decided to transfer it due to lack of space after receiving a female Komodo dragon for breeding purposes.
Taro, owned by Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens, will be offered on loan to the Higashiyama zoo.
Komodo dragons, a species native to Indonesia and designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, can grow to over 3 meters in length and weigh more than 160 kilograms.
They have previously been exhibited in Japan at the Ueno zoo and Sapporo Maruyama Zoo in Hokkaido, according to Nagoya city.
© KYODO
17 Comments
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Speed
I hate those things.
Gaijinjland
Attention grabbing animals? That’s sick. It shouldn’t be a business. At least the National Zoo in DC is free for all visitors, paid with tax dollars. The Komodo islands are pretty remote. The only thing endangering these animals is Indonesia’s shameless disregard for the environment.
Max
I want to see that Dragon... however, I feel sorry for all those animals behind bars. :/
u_s__reamer
I hate those things.
All animals must eat to stay alive. Being Nature's top predator, humans are incomparably more cruel and bloodthirsty as their victims would tell you, could they speak.
Aly Rustom
Me too. If they went extinct, I'd be happy
Laguna
Heard they can run faster than humans. They should add a female to aid in population increase. This would at least mitigate somewhat the horror which is the zoo.
Moonraker
And when was the last time you were actually bothered by a Komodo dragon?
ian
Curious.
What are the reasons some hate the Komodo?
rainyday
Higashiyama Zoo and botanical garden isn't run as a business. Its owned and run by the city and the admission fee is kept extremely low (kids free, adults 500 Yen).
The reason the mayor wants attention grabbing animals is because he wants more people to visit Nagoya (he has been big on that), not because he wants the zoo to be profitable.
bass4funk
Beautiful animals, had a chance to hold a baby one, these just beautiful and massive Apex predators without a doubt.
bass4funk
Depends, Imoto-san actuality outran one that was chasing her while she had some meat attached to her, you CAN outrun them, but you need to be in top physical form to be able to do that. I would say that doesn’t always apply to the average person.
Aly Rustom
when it came up on my facebook feed swallowing a screaming pig or deer alive.
kurisupisu
The thing is that Taro would love a bite out of us…
grund
As much as I'd like to see one, I am not a huge fan of Higashiyama zoo. Some of the exhibits are nice, but it is still more about showig the animals than taking care of them and showing them in something similar to their natural habitat. Some of the enclosures at Higashiyama is more like little concrete prison cells for the animals. Still, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope that they take care of it properly.
MilesTeg
So you'd like to see all carnivores/predators go extinct then?
MilesTeg
Never been to that zoo but Ueno Zoo is a travesty. Some animals can barely move.
Aly Rustom
No. Just Komodo Dragons