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Komodo kills man
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by AquaHerp on March 24, 2009
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Komodo Dragons Kill Man in Indonesia By IRWAN FIRDAUS, AP
posted: 9 HOURS 30 MINUTES AGOcomments: 249filed under: Animal News, World NewsPrintShareText SizeAAAJAKARTA, Indonesia (March 23) -
Two Komodo dragons mauled a fruit-picker to death in eastern Indonesia, police and witnesses said Tuesday, the latest in a string of attacks on humans by the world's largest lizard species.
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Animals in the NewsDita Alangkara, AP28 photos Authorities in eastern Indonesia said Tuesday that a fruit-picker died after being attacked by two Komodo dragons. The victim was bitten repeatedly by the giant lizards just minutes after he fell out of a tree on the island of Komodo. Here, a Komodo dragon is seen in Cisarua, West Java, Indonesia, in 2006.(Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)
Police Sgt. Kosmas Jalang said 31-year-old Muhamad Anwar was attacked on Komodo, one of four islands where the giant reptile is found in the wild, minutes after he fell out of a sugar-apple tree on Monday.
He was bleeding badly from bites to his hands, body, legs and neck after two lizards, waiting below, attacked him, according to a neighbor, Theresia Tawa. He died at a clinic on the neighboring island of Flores soon after.
Skip over this content Attacks on humans by Komodo dragons — said to number at less than 4,000 in the wild — are rare, but seem to have increased in recent years.
An 8-year-old boy was killed in 2007 — the first recorded deadly attack on a human by one of the endangered lizards in three decades. A park ranger narrowly survived after one of the animals entered his hut last month and started biting his hands and legs.
There have been several other attacks in recent months, according to Metro TV.
The reptiles, which can grow up to 10 feet long (three meters) and weigh as much as 150 pounds, have shark-like serrated teeth and a bite that can be deadly. Its saliva contains roughly 50 different known bacteria strains, so infection is a risk.
Komodos can be found in the wild on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Padar and Rinca. Tiny numbers also can be found on Flores.
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RE: Komodo kills man
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by BGF on March 29, 2009
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Rather topical since our paper on the Komodo Dragon & Megalania venom system should be out in Proceedings of National Academy of Science soon(ish). :)
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