Tour guides and tourists disturbing the critically endangered Komodo Dragon and damaging their habitats will get blacklisted and banned from entering the conservation zone. Budi Kurniawan, head of the Komodo National Park (TNK) said that his officers have warned tourist guides who violated their licenses by taking tourists to inappropriately play with the protected species. If they continue to do so, their licenses will be revoked.
“Besides the tour guides, we also have warned several boat owners and tour operators. If these people violate their licenses for the second time, they will be permanently banned from operating in the Komodo National Park,” Kurniawan informed Antara news in Kupang on Monday.
An incident where a few tour guides took tourists to play with the Komodo Dragon was recorded and the video went viral.
In the video, tour guides were seen taking some tourists by boat to an island that is part of the Komodo National Park. Komodo Dragons were seen swimming toward the boat, and the guides sought to dispel the animal using a wooden stick.
Following the incident, the agency will now release a guide map of the Komodo Dragon habitat for tourists. The map will determine which areas are open to the public, as well as the prohibited zones.
Source: Republika