Komodo Island is the New 7 Wonders of The World
Komodo Island is the New 7 Wonders of The World. Komodo is an Indonesian island home to approximately 2,000 people who are mostly descendants of former convicts once exiled here. The island is part of Komodo National Park and is especially known for its native Komodo Dragon – the world’s largest living lizard!
Komodo Island is the New 7 Wonders of The World is located in the center of the Indonesian archipelago, between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. Established in 1980, initially the main purpose of the Park was to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) and its habitat. However, over the years, the goals for the Park have expanded to protecting its entire biodiversity, both terrestrial and marine. In 1986, the Park was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, both indications of the Park’s biological importance.
For centuries, a local tradition required feeding the dragons by leaving deer parts behind after a hunt or by sacrificing goats. In the past, this practice has maintained a friendly relationship with the animals, which can live for more than 50 years and recognise individual humans. Ancient taboos also strictly forbid harming the komodos, which is why they survived here while they became extinct elsewhere.