The New 7 Wonder of Nature, the Komodo National Park in Indonesia welcomed Komodo dragon hatchlings during the hatching season of the world’s largest lizard.
According to the park manager, Lukita Awang Nisyantara, it is impossible to identify the exact number of the newly born Komodo dragons as they do not monitor all of the active nests. However, the manager said that there were nearly more than 50 nest along the island.
East Nusa Tenggara authorities closed down Komodo National Park in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The restriction aimed to protect employees and people living inside the Komodo National Park area from the virus.
However, the closure of the National Park also meant good news for the fauna and flora of it: the lockdown would also give the natural environment at the park time to recover from the effects of tourism.
Last year wasn’t easy for the Komodo National Park, since several reports of theft and trafficking of Komodo dragons led to the implementation of different restrictions on the entry of tourists. Despite the crisis in tourism sector due to the pandemic, the birth of new hatchlings and the rapid recovery of wildlife shed light on the importance of sustainable tourism.