Endangered Komodo dragons bred at Indonesia’s Surabaya Zoo could help save species

The Komodo dragon is a species monitor lizard endemic to several Indonesian islands including one that the reptile is named for. The animal has been edging towards extinction, and in September 2021 was classified as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation (IUCN), which cited an increasing threat they face from climate change. But recent efforts by Surabaya Zin Indonesia is offering hope, in the form of a breeding programme that has established a Komodo dragon population of 108 adults and 35 youngsters.