Indonesia: Construction worker injured in attack by Komodo Dragon at ‘Jurassic Park’

A worker at the Rinca island in Indonesia has been seriously wounded by a Komodo dragon as the giant lizard ripped apart several parts of his body. According to a Daily Mail report, the worker was helping build the ambitious Jurassic Park-style resort at the island, which is already facing a lot of flak from the conservationists. The worker, who has been identified as Elias Agas, was rushed to the hospital as soon as rangers at the island came to know about the attack.

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Agas was rescued from the Rinca island using a speedboat and was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment, said Julius Buluki, the head of security at the island. Buluki said that the attack took place at around 3 p.m. local time on December 17.  

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The controversy surrounding the park

Rinca island is home to some 1,000 of the world's remaining 3,000 Komodo dragons and it came into the limelight last year after the Indonesian authorities announced a plan to build a Jurassic Park-style resort to boost tourism in the area. The decision immediately garnered criticism from environmentalists, who say that the tourist attraction would hack down the habitat of Komodo dragons. The conservationists claim that the construction of the resort has already disturbed the lizards. Earlier this year, a picture of a Komodo dragon facing a truck carrying construction materials had gone viral, generating even more attention.

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Komodo dragons are indigenous to Indonesia, where they are found on the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. The giant lizards, who have been roaming the Earth for four million years, have venomous bites and mostly prey on water buffalo. Attacks on humans are rare, but there have been documented instances where Komodo dragons have either killed or injured people, both in the wild and in captivity. Study suggests that the vulnerable reptiles could become extinct by 2025 if steps are not taken to preserve Komodo dragons. 

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