Komodos wondering free

[Hawk]

Just watching the news and saw that a zoo in Bangladesh has new Komodo Dragons which are aloud to wonder freely around the zoo at their own will.

Personally I think its pretty awesome but I can also think of a few hazards with komodo dragons walking around the public.
Opinions??

 

[Jacobea]

Dangerous, if you ask me - might as well let the lions out or the tigers! A komodo dragon might not be the fastest animal out there or a constant eater, but they are still designed to kill and a bite from one can probably still kill you without a lot of antibiotics or something. Arn't there cases of children being killed out in Indonesia by Komodo dragons?

 

[Hawk]

Very true, I agree with what you say. They are very dangerous creatures and have 50 different strains of bacteria in there saliva, seven of which are highly dangerous.
Indeed they have killed children and it wouldn't surprise me of they have eaten people. On June 4th 2007 an eight year old was bitten and died later from massive bleeding. There have also attacked all range of people from tourists and fishermen ect.

But if they weren't extremely dangerous then it would be pretty awesome. I think zoos should just stick with peacocks or quails wondering around freely. It's just a not well thought through idea.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

An ill-advised idea from a zoo with no previous experience of the species. Well, if you do not ... that is no big deal ... but at least follow the guidelines on minimum standards of exhibitry, animal husbandry and management at other zoos. Or else you become an animal consumptives zoo with considerable mortality rate, no planned or coop breeding plans et cetera et cetera.

Lest I forget: this zoo got one of its Indian rhino killed on introduction to the partner ... (thereby underlining the zoo management is a real issue in the developing world).

I will keep this one in check with the relevant zoo organisation.