Photos of a Komodo dragon colliding head-on with a truck have raised concerns about the “Jurassic Park” attraction built on the Indonesian island.
The multi-million-dollar site in Komodo National Park is part of the government’s plan to reopen tourism.
The viral image has raised questions about the impact on the conservation of the world’s largest lizard, the famous dragon.
Officials said no dragons were harmed and their safety was paramount.
Komodo dragons are found in the wild on only a handful of Indonesian islands where they have been roaming for millions of years.
They attract visitors from all over the world and in recent years the authorities have been preparing for how to manage conservation and tourism in the national park.
Last year, the controversial decision to close Komodo Island – home to most lizards – and to evict the 2,000 inhabitants living with reptiles from peacocks was overturned.
Instead officials said they would introduce a યોજના 1,000 membership plan to visit the island, moving away from mass tourism to save the dragons and their habitat.
But at the same time, they also unveiled plans for large-scale tourist development on neighboring Rinka Island, the second-largest population of Komodo dragons.
The project has been dubbed “Jurassic Park” in Indonesia after the architects posted a video of their preface on Instagram last month – set against the music of the dinosaur film franchise. The video generated a lot of their attention Shared by local campaigners on social media.
The development, which is expected to be completed by June 2021, is expected to include a tourist information center and a jetty.
Why has the photo started the discussion?
Over the weekend, an image of a Komodo dragon facing a construction truck on Rinka Island circulated widely on Twitter and Instagram.
It was shared by Save Komodo Now, a group of activists who wrote: “This is the first time Komodos is hearing the roar of the engine and the smell of smoke. What will be the future impact of these projects? Does anyone still care? Defense?”
Coalition member Greg Af Fioma told the BBC the group was concerned that planned development would affect reptiles and inhabitants.
“Such large-scale development disrupts the interaction of animals. It will change their habitat.”
Government officials told BBC Indonesia that they had reviewed the photo being shared on social media and would be able to confirm that the Komodo dragon was not harmed during construction.
“No Komodo dragon will be a victim,” said Viratno, director general of nature conservation and ecosystems at Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
He added that a team from his ministry would visit the island to ensure that safety protocols were being followed to rescue the dragon.
Komodo currently has a population of about 3,000 in Indonesia, according to government data. Dragons can grow up to 3m (10 feet) long, have razor-sharp teeth and venomous bites.
Most of them – about 1,700 – live on Komodo Island, and about 1,000 more live on Rinka. The entire national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Additional reporting by BBC Indonesia, Mohammad Irham
