Komodo Dragons Maul Indonesian Fisherman

An Indonesian fisherman met an untimely death Tuesday when he was attacked by Komodo dragons while trespassing on an island in eastern Indonesia's Komodo National Park. Muhamad Anwar, 32, bled to death on the way to the hospital. The Park's general manager Fransiskus Harum told CNN that the fisherman was looking for fruit on the island, despite the fact that it was forbidden to be there.

Though it is rare that Komodo dragons attack people, this attack isn't the first one made on humans. In fact, the most recent attack was only last month. A Komodo dragon attacked a park ranger after it climbed the ladder to his hut. In 2008, a group of divers managed to survive several onslaughts from the dragons after they were stranded on an island in the park. In 2007, an eight-year-old boy died after being mauled by dragons

I've always had something of a grudging respect for the Komodo dragon ever since I was in grade school. I distinctly remember a field trip that wouldn't have been anything important if I hadn't come across the Komodo dragons. They were part of a brand new exhibit at the zoo and while normally anything lizard or snakelike would send me running, the Komodo didn't.

I remember being impressed that the somewhat bulky Komodo earned its title as the heaviest living lizard by weighing in at around 300 pounds. As an adult, it reaches 10 feet in length. With their long bodies, rounded snouts and bowed legs, the Komodo's body may remind some of an alligator or crocodile. However, its long, powerful neck and forked tongue is more similar to a snake.

Though a Komodo's body may seem cumbersome, it doesn't hold them back from running, jumping on their hind legs and killing with their muscular tails. But it doesn't always have to rely on speed to catch its prey and this was what impressed me the most.

If a Komodo dragon's victim is lucky enough to escape, he isn't out of danger. The Komodo dragon's saliva is poisoned with over 50 strains of bacteria, which will kill the victim in 24 hours. The dragon will follow the victim for miles until it finds it and even then, can eat 80 percent of its body weight in one feeding.

Though the Komodo dragons are endangered (less than 4,000 exist in the wild), their numbers have stabilized, mostly due to breeding in captivity. If they're daring, people can visit the Komodo National Park and attempt to see the dragons, but all visitors are always accompanied by rangers.

I saw my first Komodo dragon over ten years ago and I still feel the same way about them then as I do now. They are the very epitome of "appearances can be deceiving," and have managed to survive the odds. It is horrible that people have lost their lives to the Komodo dragons, but I can't help but have, as I said before, a grudging respect for them.

Barry Neild, Komodo Dragons Kill Indonesian Fisherman, CNN.com

Komodo Dragon, National Geographic.com