Posted on 08/25/2008 5:06:11 PM PDT by Pontiac
The intruder, a Komodo dragon, is the world's largest lizard, an ancient, fierce carnivore found only on a handful of remote islands in eastern Indonesia.
Reaching 10 feet in length, the dragons feed on buffaloes, deer and an occasional human. Just a year ago, a boy about Syarif's age died in a dragon's jaws, his bones smashed against rocks to facilitate reptilian digestion.
These locals have long viewed the dragons as a reincarnation of fellow kinsfolk, to be treated with reverence.
But now, villagers say, the once-friendly dragons have turned into vicious man-eaters. And they blame policies drafted by American-funded environmentalists for this frightening turn of events.
For centuries, local tradition required feeding the dragons -- which live more than 50 years, can recognize individual humans and usually stick to fairly small areas.
Locals say they always left deer parts for the dragons after a hunt, and often tied goats to a post as sacrifice. Island taboos strictly prohibited hurting the giant reptiles, a possible reason why the dragons have survived in the Komodo area despite becoming extinct everywhere else.
Officials at the Nature Conservancy's Indonesian headquarters in Bali dismiss such widespread belief about a connection between the attacks and the ban on feeding the dragons as "superstition." The group and its Komodo subsidiary reject any responsibility for Mansur's death.
The boy "shouldn't have crouched like a prey species in a place where dragons live," says Marcus Matthews-Sawyer, tourism, marketing and communications director at Putri Naga Komodo. "You've got to be very careful about extrapolating and drawing any conclusions."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
You gotta read the whole thing. The level of eco-colonial arrogance and disregard for the safety of the local people on the part of these Nature Conservancy clowns is off the hook.
Their ancient custom is never to harm the dragons but if the current course of action holds that is almost certain to change.
Didn't know there was a difference.
Yep, that's what I tell my kids ... don't crouch like a prey species in dragon habitat, especially if the dragons haven't had any goats or deer parts lately.
Really? That’s almost the exact opposite of what I tell my liberal neighbor with the hot-chick wife: “Betcha can’t crouch like a prey species in dragon habitat, Jeff!”
The boy “shouldn’t have crouched like a prey species in a place where dragons live,” says Marcus Matthews-Sawyer, tourism, marketing and communications director at Putri Naga Komodo. “You’ve got to be very careful about extrapolating and drawing any conclusions.”
Wait, isn’t that what you just did?
Liberals.
Oh they will probably declare the lizards an endangered animal, declare their area a wilderness zone, and move all the people out to public housing.
the Komodo Dragon is the leftist mascot.
vump
It is a subtle difference to be sure; but the Komodo is much more civilized.
Give them some credit.
For centuries, local tradition required feeding the dragons — which live more than 50 years, can recognize individual humans and usually stick to fairly small areas.
Hundreds of years, Baaaaah, natives what do they know!
PING!
> You gotta read the whole thing. The level of eco-colonial arrogance and disregard for the safety of the local people on the part of these Nature Conservancy clowns is off the hook.
Don’t you just love it how Pointy-Headed Intellectuals, once again, know what is best for everybody — even tho’ there is absolutely no reason on earth why they should?
Ask the Average Jue in the street “who knows more about Komodo Dragons: the Pointy-Headed Intellectual from the US, or the villager on Komodo Island who lives with the dragons and whose ancestors have lived there from the beginning of recorded time?” and 100% of the time you know the answer ain’t going to be “The Pointy-Headed Intellectual”.
So how is it that the Pointy-Headed Intellectuals get to run the show over on Komodo Island? Wouldn’t it be more fun to feed one or two of them to the dragons, and make their Pointy-Headed Intellectual friends watch what happens?
It would certainly be more instructional. I bet if they did that, the villagers would be back to feeding the dragons goats and deer in seconds flat.
It’s all just natural selection.
” One of the most famous lizard attacks occurred half a world away in 2001, when a Komodo dragon kept by the Los Angeles Zoo tried to ingest the foot of Phil Bronstein, then editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and husband of actress Sharon Stone.”
To paraphrase Sharon - I guess that is just Karma, for being a San Francisco cafe-radical-leftist. Real life tries to take your foot off!
That is the first thing that came to mind when I read the title :o)
This is just stupid on its surface.
For a Komodo or a salt water Croc there are only prey species. Anything they can clamp their jaws on is prey.
Anyone reading the article can easily discern that the Komodo is an ambush killer. It waits in cover until an animal or human comes with in striking range. The reptilian brain does not distinguish between man and animal.
What a reptilian will learn however is another carnivore which it can follow around and wait for an easy meal of leftovers.
This is exactly what the Komodo used to know when the villagers left deer offal for the dragons.
Komodos don’t seem to get bacterial infections. Consequently, scientists are studying komodo dragons to hopefully find the new antibiotics.
There is no such thing as a ‘good’ Komodo Dragon (Monitor Lizard)
Good point there
Envirowackos used to always make a point that the American Indians lived in harmony with their environment and worked with nature not against it.
Funny once they gained power and influence all those people who live in harmony with nature are foolish, primitive and superstitious.
Don’t you mean there is no such thing as a “good” Nancy Polosi (Democrat Dragonis).
heh heh ha ha, thats pretty good!
there have been a few isolated reports of the Australian version (Goana Lizard) sighted of 14 to 16 feet+ in length.
And that's what's so amazing about these giant lizards. They're not venomous, but they might as well be. Their mouths are so saturated with bacteria that when they bite a deer or a goat, they simply let go and wait. In a matter of days, or even hours sometimes, the prey animal will die of gross bacterial infection of the wound.
The villagers are at risk too. Every TV show I've watched about Komodo dragons always shows a few villagers who managed to get bitten. They're invariably amputees now (but they're quite happy to only lose a limb, rather than their life).
Almost better to be bitten by a cobra.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/06/11/MN204069.DTL&hw=komodo+dragon&sn=001&sc=1000
“Prior to the incident, Bronstein was wearing white tennis shoes. But because the dragon is fed white rats, the zoo keeper suggested he remove the shoes so the animal did not mistake them for its next meal.”
Looks like Phil knew better than the zoo keeper. :)
....GOOD LIZARD....
Those babies ought to give the lengendary Saltys a run for their money.
Put locals on one island, and environmentalists on another. See who survives.
I t would be an interesting experiment.
Would you like to collaborate on a grant proposal with me.
It shouldn’t be a problem; environmentalist aren’t an endangered species.
Wait until they figure out the whole global warming scam...that's when the shit will hit the fan. The liberals think we're hated now, that's nothing compared to what's inevitably coming...
Gee, I never heard of that happening before... Until Rachel WhatsHerName and the enviros got DDT completely banned, some headway was being made against malaria. Today, because western nations will place sanctions on any country that uses DDT in even limited areas, more than 1,000,000 people a year die of malaria. Their response? Send mosquito netting so people don't get bitten at night while asleep. But what about the other 18 or so hours in the day?
Well, at least those millions of people who've died of a horrible, preventable disease, all died for a good cause, right?
Mark
Of course it was a good cause; fewer humans on the planet. After all the enviro whackos are Malthusians. We filthy humans are over populating the planet and using up all the resources.
Ping
read full article.
Once again trample what works ,in favor of what is unscientifically correct
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.