▲ A Komodo dragon to be exhibited at the National Institute of Ecology's CITES animal shelter
The world's largest lizard, which was rescued after being smuggled the year before last, will be available for public viewing starting tomorrow.
The National Institute of Ecology announced that it will exhibit the Komodo dragon starting tomorrow at the institute located in Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do.
The Komodo dragon was confiscated the year before last when Incheon Airport Customs busted a ring smuggling rare creatures from Indonesia and other regions.
The lizard has since been housed in an animal protection facility inside the institute.
Komodo dragons have an adult body weight of around 70 kg, making them the largest living lizards in existence.
The largest confirmed specimen reached 3.13 meters in body length and 166 kg in weight.
Komodo dragons hunt and feed on other reptiles and mammals such as deer and wild boars, and sometimes even prey on the young of their own species.
Currently inhabiting only certain islands and coasts of Indonesia, they are facing the threat of extinction as climate change and rising sea levels reduce their food supply.
They are listed as "Endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, a category meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.
(Photo provided by the National Institute of Ecology, Yonhap News)
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