Are Komodo dragons endangered?

Yes. The IUCN Red List classifies the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) as Endangered under criterion C1, in an assessment dated August 5, 2019 and published in 2021.

The assessment estimates about 1,383 mature individuals, split into eight separate subpopulations on Komodo, Rinca, Flores and smaller islands in Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands. No single subpopulation holds more than 500 adults, and the area the species actually occupies is estimated at about 809 square kilometers. The overall population trend is listed as stable, and most dragons live inside Komodo National Park, where they are considered fairly well protected. The Endangered listing reflects that small, severely fragmented range, along with habitat loss and killing of dragons on Flores, attempts to smuggle live animals for the pet trade, and climate modelling that suggests a decline that may exceed 30% over the 40 years from 2010.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon)

Image: Komodo dragon on Komodo Island, Indonesia, by Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.



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