Komodo National Park

About The Komodo National Park

The Komodo National Park is located in Indonesia. Established in 1980, it lies at the centre of the Indonesian archipelago, between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. It is made up of three major islands – Komodo, Rinca and Padar – and around 26 smaller islands, in total covering a surface area of 1,800 km2 (~695 mi2).

Much of the park is rugged and hilly, composed of volcanic rock. The climate is tropical all year round - hot and very dry - and Komodo has the lowest annual rainfall in all of Indonesia.

Wildlife

The Park was originally established to protect the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard, which can grow to over 3 m (~10 ft) in length and weigh up to 70 kg (~ 154 lbs). Around 5,700 of these creatures live here, largely split between Komodo and Rinca islands (the species is extinct on Padar). However, the park is also home to many other species and in 1991, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

While there are many frogs, lizards and snakes indigenous to the area, all the large mammals in the park have been introduced by man, including the wild horse, the Sunda deer, macaque monkeys and wild buffalo. The exception is the Komodo rat, the sole endemic species. Over 150 species of bird have been identified in the park, although many are migratory and come more from Australasia than Asia.

The park is also teeming with marine life– whale sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, pygmy seahorses and blue-ringed octopus all thrive among the sponges, tunicates and coral in the waters surrounding the islands. This makes scuba-diving in the area, which is encouraged by the park authorities as eco-tourism is one of its main strategies for making the park financially sustainable for the future.