My husband and I were on one of the first small cruise ships to sail into Komodo. We sailed from Bali to the Barrier Reef.. through 3500 miles of the Indonesian Archipelago. We knew very little about the Komodo Dragons. The excursion to Komodo was fascinating. We followed a couple of local guides up a trail to where the Dragons were; in a large pit. Along the trail, we saw other dragons and I was surprised at their size, approximately 300 pounds and about 10 feet long. The guides had sticks to ward off the dragons
When we arrived at the pit, where about 10-15 dragons were gathered, it was "showtime." A guide threw a live goat into the pit and those dragons devoured it within a few minutes. There was nothing left of that goat. It was one of the most horrific things I have ever witnessed. In fact, I did avert my eyes. On the way back to the ship, I started to feel the effects of sunstroke. As soon as I found the sea, I jumped right in, only to be told later, that it was a mistake to swim in that area as the dragons also like to swim in that area. My friends, please do not endanger yourselves. I have read (Lindblad tourist devoured by Komodo Dragon), and have seen other reports re: how dangerous they are. They love to eat flesh and they will even eat their young. Moreover, their saliva is poisenous. When scientists recently went there for a TV Special they went in with guns. Recently, a local was killed by a dragon. It is just not worth it.