Six Komodo dragons hatchlings join the Bronx Zoo
For the fi rst time in the
122-year history of the Bronx
Zoo’s existence, two Komodo
dragons successfully bred
and produced six hatchlings,
marking a tremendous occasion
for not only the park, but
for the endangered lizards as
well.
“This is an important
achievement for zoo staff and
a signifi cant milestone for the
Bronx Zoo,” said curator of
Herpetology at the Bronx Zoo,
Don Boyer.
The pair of dragons coupled
in March 2021, and within
a month, the female delivered
“a clutch of eggs,” which is
typically about 20.
Immediately the hatchlings
were deposited into an
incubator, where they were
closely monitored for approximately
212-days, before they
began the 20-hour process of
breaking free from their shell.
“It was a beautiful footlong
lizard with brilliant
yellow and orange coloration
on a darker background,”
Boyer recalled of
the event.
In 2014, The Bronx Zoo offi
cially opened their Komodo
dragon exhibit in Zoo Center,
In 2014, The Bronx Zoo offi cially opened their Komodo dragon exhibit in Zoo Center, the fi rst time the lizards had been hosted in the zoo since the
1950s.
the fi rst time the lizards had
been hosted in the zoo since
the 1950s. During this time,
the Komodo dragon population
was closer to 2,000, on
their native island of Flores,
Indonesia. However, to date,
this reptile species has been
classifi ed as “endangered”
by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN). According to their
calculations, there are fewer
than 2,500 Komodo dragons
left in the wild, with as little
as 350 breeding females.
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“Komodo dragons are one
of the planet’s most fascinating
species and these hatchlings
represent a hopeful
future for the species. They
will be wonderful ambassadors
for their wild counterparts
as they help us raise
awareness about conservation
needs,” Boyer said.
The birth of these Komodos
is the result of the Species
Survival Plan (SSP) at
the zoo. The SSP is “a cooperative
breeding and
management program,” designed
by the Association of
Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
As the species coordinator
of the AZA, Boyer said,
“I work with colleagues to
maximize genetic diversity
within the North American
dragon population. The
parents of our hatchlings
are a recommended breeding
pair. These young dragons
will eventually join the
AZA zoo population and be
integrated into the breeding
population.”
-Bronx Times
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