The final leg of our two week Indonesia trip concludes with a journey to the island of Rinca in search of the mighty Komodo Dragon.
Komodos on Rinca
Komodo dragons have gotten a bad rep in the press these past few weeks. The dragons have become a noted topic after an Indonesian fisherman was mauled and killed while trespassing on Komodo island. Now, what was this fisherman doing on the island in the first place you ask? Searching for lost treasure? Nope. Saving a damsel in distress? Nope… apparently, he went hunting for sugar apples. Yes. Hunting for sugar apples, on an island known for its population of 1,500 Komodo dragons. If you ask me, the media should be handing this guy a Darwin award.
The fact is Komodo dragons are dangerous and should not be taken lightly. They are active, agile predators with razor sharp teeth and have the ability to climb trees, swim or outrun any human. Little known fact – Komodo dragons are actually not venomous rather their saliva is extremely toxic containing over 50 strains of bacteria… some of which have no known antidote. Update: Based on new reports it looks as though Komodo Dragons do have venom glands. Bite victims, if treated early with a broad range of antibiotics, do have a good chance of surviving.
Komodo dragons can be found, natively, only on two islands in Indonesia – Komodo and Rinca. We decided to visit Rinca because it had a greater population, 1,900 dragons approx, and because it could be done as a day trip, two and a half hours by boat (one way) from Seraya Island compared to four for Komodo. The boat ride itself, while long, was eventful as we got to see a pod of dolphins on the way to Rinca!
Dolphins on way to Rinca
All visitors to the national park must be accompanied by a ranger who also serves as your guide through the national park area. A fact, further drilled in by the park management, as they pointed to some dried up blood stains on the window left by a ranger who’d been attacked, a week earlier, by a dragon (he survived). After registering our names with the park HQ, we chose to do the longer, two hour, trek which also included a climb up to a viewpoint area.
Rinca Island
Our first encounter with dragons was close to the Park HQ, just next to the kitchen area. Four Komodo dragons, attracted by the scent of food, sat around the area in the hopes of scoring a quick meal. The park officials never feed any of the dragons or they’ll get into the habit of coming back for more.
Let sleeping dragons lie
These claws were made for stalking...
Fifteen minutes into the trek we see a fully grown adult Komodo dragon walking straight towards us… head swinging, tongue lashing and feet pacing one after the next, this Komodo was on the prowl! We moved off the path and into the grass to let him pass by.
Komodo on the prowl
Komodo stalking
Sniffing out prey... us
Striking a pose
A little further on, we come across another Rinca native… the water buffalo, this one happily submerged in a mud bath. Water buffaloes serve as the main prey for Komodo dragons, once bitten the dragons stalks the wounded buffalo until it finally succumbs to the toxins.
Water Buffalo in mud
Face only a mother could love
We finally reach the end of our trek with some panoramic views of the entire island. It’s hard to imagine that within these plains are home to just under two thousand Komodo dragons.
Rinca Island - Viewpoint
Reaching Rinca Island: Charter a boat from Labuanbajo (cost dependent on your haggling skills)
Entrance Fee: Approx 200,000 Indonesian Rupiah (per person)
Guide: Dependent on either one hour/two hour trek
Tags: Indonesia, Komodo Dragon, Rinca