Number 5: Lon Lee Alle In 2017, tourist Lon Lee Alle, from Singapore,
was visiting Komodo National Park.
The 50-year-old ventured into a secluded area to watch Komodo dragons feast on goats and
wild pigs.
He hadn’t hired a guide because he wanted to save money.
Despite being warned by the locals to keep his distance, he wanted to photograph the
beasts.
Approaching the giant lizards while they’re eating is extremely dangerous since they’ll
likely view humans as a threat.
That’s exactly what happened to Lee Alle.
A Komodo dragon, estimated to have been around 8 feet long, dashed towards his leg.
Within moments, the carnivorous reptile sunk its serrated teeth into the man’s limb.
Fortunately, there were villagers around and they managed to rescue him.
The man was then rushed to the hospital on a military speedboat.
The lizard had managed to inflict severe damage to his leg.
The sharp teeth had sliced through the muscle tissue, basically turning his limb into a
bloody mess.
The man received several stitches and medication to limit the complications associated with
the bite of a Komodo dragon.
What Is It?
The Komodo dragon, also known as Varanus komodensis, is the largest extant lizard species in the
animal kingdom.
It’s part of the Varanidae monitor lizard family and can attain some truly gigantic
proportions.
The Komodo dragon has a maximum recorded length of around 10 feet and can weigh as much as
150 pounds.
Heavier specimens typically develop in captivity, where they may exceed 200 pounds.
Males tend to be slightly larger and bulkier than females while the species, as a whole,
is usually stone-colored with possible variations of green, blue and orange.
Their bodies are covered in tiny bony plates, called osteoderms, which act like a form of
natural chain-mail armor.
As the lizard gets older, these armored scales become tougher, more extensive and more variable
in shape.
The Komodo dragon’s muscular tail is almost as long as its body.
Its neck is agile and strong while its sturdy, robust limbs end in clawed digits.
The dragon’s curved claws allow it to climb trees and dig holes but are also effective
weapons.
This lizard owns a vicious bite and around 60 serrated teeth that are constantly replaced
and which allow it to tear into prey.
Research also suggests that the lizard also possesses a venomous bite.
Two glands in its lower jaws have been found to secrete various toxic proteins.
The Komodo dragon has a long, forked tongue on which it relies as the primary sensory
organ.
As the lizard flickers its tongue, it samples airborne particles.
It then places the tongue tip to the roof of its mouth, where samples are analyzed by
Jacobson’s organ.
This paired olfactory organ enables the Komodo dragon to detect food sources, whether they
are live prey or carrion.
There are few animals that the Komodo dragon won’t target on a list that also includes
humans.
While attacks are usually rare, dozens have been recorded in the past decades and some
have even been fatal.
Number 4: Group of Scuba Divers In 2008, a scuba diving expedition off the
coast of Bali turned into a living nightmare for a group of tourists.
The divers, of different nationalities, were swept from their boat by a strong current
and spent more than nine hours adrift.
Exhausted from swimming, they tied their diving vests together in order to remain afloat.
They were just about to give up hope, when they spotted an island in the distance.
The group decided to make a push towards it so that they wouldn’t be taken out to open
sea.
Once they reached the island they thought that their troubles were over and that rescuers
would soon find them.
However, the fight for survival was just beginning.
Rinca Island is home to over 1,300 Komodo dragons and it wasn’t long before the group
had its first encounter with the beasts.
One lizard repeatedly tried to bite a Swedish woman’s legs but she managed to strike it
with her diving belt.
The Komodo dragon tore the leather belt to shreds as others pelted it with stones.
For the next two days the group had to fend off Komodo dragons while also dealing with
hunger, exhaustion and the tropical heat.
They survived by scraping shellfish off of rocks and then eating them raw.
Luckily, an Indonesian rescue crew spotted their orange emergency floats that had been
laid down on the rocks.
The group was in shock, but they rehydrated at a hospital on Flores Island and then celebrated
their survival at a local bar.
Where Is It Located?
Komodo dragons are native to the Indonesian archipelago and are most widespread on the
islands of Komodo, Flores, Rinca and Gili Motang.
The lizard’s tremendous size has been explained as an example of island gigantism.
Simply put, the reason why the Komodo dragon got so big has to do with the lack of large
carnivorous adversaries.
Since no other animals challenged the dragon for supremacy, it was free to hunt and grow
at will.
The monitor lizard genus, called Varanus, originated in Asia, roughly 40 million years
ago.
The lizards then migrated to Australia, where they uninhibitedly evolved into giants.
Megalania is known as the largest terrestrial lizard in existence and it’s believed to
have resembled the Komodo dragon in appearance.
However, it was nearly double in length and weighed well-over a ton.
The Megalania became extinct roughly 50,000 years ago and early aboriginal settlers might
have encountered it as well as played a role in its disappearance.
By that time, however, the Komodo dragon had already migrated to the Indonesian islands,
where it became a monstrous apex predator.
Nowadays, the lizard prefers hot and dry places.
It’s mainly active during the day and can be found in savannahs, open grasslands or
low tropical forests.
While generally a solitary animal, groups do form to eat and breed.
The largest male will typically assert dominance and eat first while males of similar size
might wrestle for food or mating privileges.
In some cases, the victor will kill and eat the loser.
Number 3: Guide Named Maen As tour guide Maen got into his office he
had no idea that a deadly predator was lurking beneath his desk.
Like many other buildings on Rinca Island, Maen’s unit sat on stilts.
It wasn’t uncommon for Komodo dragons to gather below to scrap for food.
However, the night before, one of the cleaning crews had left the office door open.
That’s when the reptile snuck in.
Moments after he sat at his desk, Maen noticed the Komodo dragon sitting at his feet.
He locked eyes with the lizard.
Even though his heart was pounding, Maen kept his composure and slowly tried to withdraw
his legs.
Unfortunately for him, the reptile reacted to the movement and bit down on his leg, clenching
its jaws shut.
In pain, the guide attempted to pry the dragon’s jaws open, injuring his arm in the process.
Initially, only one of his colleagues heard Maen’s screams for help.
As he arrived in the office, he saw blood on the floor and noticed that Maen couldn’t
get up.
He alerted the others who rushed into the room to help their fellow guide fight off
the lizard.
Other Komodo dragons, waiting outside, were drawn to the commotion.
The men had to carry Maen and maneuver through the deadly reptiles so that they could get
him to the island’s dock.
Fortunately, there were no further attacks.
Maen was taken to a small clinic on Flores Island but his injuries were too severe for
the doctors to contend with.
He was subsequently airlifted to Bali.
Maen received six hours of emergency treatment and a total of 55 stitches.
It took him about six months to fully recover from the attack but he eventually returned
to work.
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How Will It Kill You?
One of the most terrifying aspects about Komodo dragons is that they’re voracious eaters
that hunt a wide range of prey.
They’ll eat anything, from rodents and invertebrates to water buffalos.
Cannibalism is not uncommon among Komodo dragons.
They’ll use their teeth to tear large chunks of flesh from their prey.
An expandable stomach, flexible skulls and loosely articulated jaws enable them to swallow
prey whole.
A Komodo dragon can eat up to 80% of its own body weight in a single meal.
A slow metabolism means that it can survive with as little as a dozen meals a year.
There are several ways in which a Komodo dragon can kill you.
While it can briefly sprint up to 20 mph, the Komodo relies on camouflage and prefers
to ambush its prey.
It will suddenly charge you and knock you down with either its forelimbs or its muscular
tail.
The dragon will then pin you to the ground and sink its serrated teeth in your flesh.
It may use its powerful claws to inflict further damage.
When it tackles large prey, it will usually go for the throat or the underside and can
kill them within seconds.
It will go for the kill through a deadly combination of lacerating damage and blood loss.
Even if you do manage to get away, the venom, which has likely made its way into your system,
might still end your life.
The dragon’s venom-delivery system has been described as the most complex among reptiles.
Unlike snakes, which usually have a single duct connected to their fangs, the dragon
has multiple venom ducts located between its teeth.
As it delivers repeated bites, it will use a push-and-pull method to ooze venom into
your wounds.
The toxins in the venom can prevent blood clotting and may induce hypothermia or muscle
paralysis.
This leads to shock and loss of consciousness.
Additionally, the dragon’s sharp sense of smell means it can still track you for miles.
Therefore, if you don’t succumb to the initial attack, another may follow, perhaps while
you’re recovering or trying to get help.
It’s worth mentioning that these creatures are no strangers to human flesh and won’t
hesitate to consume it.
Because of the lizards, the villagers of Komodo had to move their graves to clay grounds and
place stones on top of them.
That’s because Komodo dragons would dig up and consume corpses buried in shallow graves.
Number 2 Muhamad Anwar In 2009, two Komodo dragons claimed the life
of 31-year-old Muhamad Anwar.
At the time, the man was picking apples from a tree on Komodo Island.
He then lost his footing and fell to the ground.
Anwar never got back to his feet.
In less than a minute the two massive lizards started to bite his body.
It was an overwhelming attack and Anwar was helpless against it.
He was bitten on the torso as well as on the hands, arms, legs and neck.
One woman, who’d witnessed the incident, had to be treated for shock in its aftermath.
She later said that the animals just kept biting him and that “he was bleeding badly
all over his body”.
Anwar was taken to a clinic on the nearby island of Flores.
However, his injuries were too severe and doctors were unable to save his life.
How to Survive?
Surviving the attack of a Komodo dragon is no easy feat but avoiding one altogether isn’t
that difficult.
It you want to observe these creatures in their natural habitat, do so with a trained
guide and avoid approaching them too closely.
Licensed guides know how to deal with the animals and deter them from attacking.
Mating occurs between May to August.
That’s when males are more aggressive and engage in fighting and dominance displays.
It’s very important to stay away from large groups.
Komodo dragons are ferocious fighters but aren’t notoriously aggressive towards humans.
That being said, they’re apex predators which aren’t used to being challenged and
may attack if they feel you’re a threat.
If you believe an attack is inevitable, there are a few measures to take.
Komodo dragons are good sprinters but their bulky bodies make it hard for them to change
direction quickly.
You can try running in the opposite direction, in a zig-zag pattern, and use obstacles in
the environment to break their chase.
Don’t allow the lizard in close range as it can dash at you quickly.
If the lizard hasn’t started to make its way towards you, it’s better to just back
away slowly.
Komodo dragons are physically strong but adults are typically too heavy to make their way
up in trees.
If you’re a good climber, you can try climbing a tree as a way of evading an attack.
If you can’t climb or run away then you’ll have to take the Komodo dragon head on.
Avoid its bite and strike it in the face and neck until it gives up on the attack.
Don’t let the lizard take you down, where it can use its strong limbs and body weight
to pin you.
Once the attack is over, it’s vital to get immediate medical attention for any injuries
you sustained in the fight.
Treatment will ensure that you won’t have to deal with the venom’s more severe effects.
Number 1: Unnamed 8-year-old Boy In 2007, a deadly attack at Komodo Island
reminded the locals of how truly dangerous and unpredictable the island’s apex predators
can be.
An unnamed 8-year-old boy and his uncle were mending fish nets when the attack occurred.
At one point the boy went behind a bush to relieve himself.
That’s when a massive Komodo dragon viciously ambushed him.
The lizard clawed his leg then bit him on the stomach and neck.
It shook the boy with force, most likely trying to break his neck.
The child screamed in agony.
His uncle and other villagers rushed to his help and pelted the 10-foot lizard with stones
until it let go.
According to local reports, the child looked as if he’d been bitten in half.
He bled to death before he could be transferred to an off-island hospital.
Experts argued that even if the lacerations would’ve been less severe, he would have
likely succumbed to blood poisoning from the toxic venom.
His tragic death marked the first fatal Komodo dragon attack in 33 years.
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