Saving the Last Komodo Dragons

Global Conservation has supported a 6-month Komodo dragon conservation pilot project through the Komodo Survival Program (KSP) in strengthening the existing conservation effort in Komodo National Park (KNP), Indonesia.

Working hand in hand with the government authority, KSP has begun to implement the SMART Program for field data collection and analysis in order to determine the best wildlife management strategies. In addition to this, the monitoring program has been strengthened within the protected areas of Komodo National Park by integrating wildlife surveys with patrolling activities in remote areas on the west coast of Komodo, south coast of Rinca, and several smaller remote islands.

To improve the effectiveness of marine patrols, KSP has also equipped KNP patrolling boats with a portable marine radar unit and a tablet device to collect data. Thirteen ranger posts also have been equipped with smartphones to collect monitoring and patrolling data. Global Conservation, through KSP, also assisted the Komodo National Park authority in refurbishing an old KNP building for a command center that serves as an information and education center and also as a base camp for monitoring teams.

During the 6-month pilot project, KSP has assisted KNP in increasing the capacity of Komodo National Park rangers by conducting training in wildlife monitoring techniques, SMART mobile applications, and SMART desktop programs. Furthermore, KNP and KSP have been conducting integrated wildlife monitoring and patrolling activities both in terrestrial and marine areas, utilizing camera traps and SMART.

The patrolling team consists of KNP forest rangers, KSP staff, and Indonesian Navy staff members. From August to November 2021, the pilot project in integrating wildlife monitoring and patrolling activities has increased patrol effort from 6,551km to 10,094km. KSP and KNP have also increased the coverage area from 432km2 to 723km2 across both land and sea. The wildlife monitoring activities have successfully assessed the distribution of Komodo dragons in the remote parts of Komodo Island to fill in gaps in our knowledge.

More information is available at globalconservation.org.