Our Komodo Dragon breeding success continues!

We are pleased to report further success with our Komodo Dragon breeding programme, with another Komodo Dragon successfully hatching and a number of eggs under incubation.

Our first Komodo youngster, who is now 6 months old, is continuing to grow healthy and well with a strong personality emerging. Our second Komodo Dragon offspring hatched on 3rd August 2013. The hatchling is doing well at this early stage and is being kept off show under close observation.

Keepers have named the 6 month old Komodo, Curu, which means ‘Welcome Mountain’ from the Indonesian Islands of Komodo. Curu is becoming more interested in what the keepers are doing. Keeper Glen Fairweather says ‘We have just started to introduce a target when feeding Curu, with the aim of being able to train as the months go on. We are also slowly starting to initiate body contact by gently stroking Curu when cleaning the exhibit; this will help to improve our relationship’.

The main threats to Komodo dragons are deer poaching, arson and sporadic illegal logging. Colchester Zoo is part of the European Endangered Species (EEP) programme for this species, and with species numbers declining in the wild due to expansion of habitat encroachment and reduction of prey numbers, we hope that a successful production of offspring will occur to continue to support the existence and conservation of this species.