Wayan Darmawa, head of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) tourism agency, has confirmed that Komodo Island will be closed in early 2020 for approximately one year.
The decision was made after a meeting between the NTT administration and the Environment and Forestry Ministry (KLHK) in Jakarta.
Wayan said that both parties had discussed the island’s preparation, assessment, and management. President Joko Widodo has also approved the decision.
Earlier, Viktor Laiskodat, NTT Governor, announced that his administration will spend about Rp100billion to renovate and rehabilitate the island. Viktor stated that the move is very much needed in order to preserve the Komodo species and prevent their extinction due to the lack of food sources.
The lack of food has reportedly caused fights between Komodo dragons on the island. Komodo dragons are the largest living lizard in the world. The species can only be found in the eastern islands of Indonesia, namely Flores, Rinca, Komodo, and Gili Motang.
Source: Antara
Image: Tempo