JAKARTA: A Komodo dragon has bitten an overly inquisitive tourist in Indonesia who ignored warnings about getting too close to the enormous reptile while it was eating, a national park official said.
The tourist from Singapore was bitten on his leg Wednesday morning while taking pictures of the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard, said the chief of the Komodo National Park, Sudiyono.
Sudiyono said the man was rescued by locals and rushed to a hospital in Labuan Bajo on Flores Island, near Komodo Island, for treatment.
Endangered Komodo dragons are found in the wild on several eastern Indonesian islands. They can grow to 3 meters (10 feet) or more in length.
Attacks on humans are rare but may increase as Indonesia is promoting the Komodo National Park as a tourist destination. In 2013, a guide and a park ranger were attacked in separate incidents.
Experts say the Komodo dragon population in the wild is less than 4,000 but stable. -- AP