Komodo dragons roam free on the islands of Indonesia.

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Yulia Sundukova / CATERS / SIPA

Indonesian conservationists have denounced a project to transform the habitat of the famous Komodo dragons, an endangered species, into a kind of "Jurassic Park".

It is the dissemination of a photo showing one of these reptiles facing a construction truck that has gone viral on the internet.

Almost 3,000 of these dragons, the largest lizard in the world, live on an island group east of Bali, which includes Komodo Island.

They can be up to three meters long and weigh up to 90 kilograms.

Viral photo of Komodo dragon facing a truck sparks concerns about Indonesia's 'Jurassic Park' attraction https://t.co/a5ukovE9CR

- BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 27, 2020

The authorities unveiled last month a tourist development project on one of these islands, dubbed "Jurassic Park" after the publication by the architects of a promotional video featuring the music of Steven Spielberg's film.

This project threatens a species that is already endangered, warned conservationists.

A natural park transformed into a zoo?

This week, a photo showing a Komodo dragon facing a truck carrying construction materials reignited debate about the project, after it was widely circulated on the internet.

"The idea of ​​building a 'Jurassic Park' is frankly embarrassing," said Gregorius Afioma, an activist for the local NGO Sunspirit.

“People come here to see the Komodo dragons in their natural environment.

These people are selling a concept where (visitors) will walk around in an enclosed space to see Komodo dragons, which to me is nothing more than a zoo, ”he added.

The government defends itself

This development would also threaten dragons by reducing the size of their habitat, according to Rima Melani Bilaut of the Indonesian Environment Forum.

The truck in the photo that went viral was not linked to the controversial project, which was frozen until mid-2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government defended itself.

"If we control it well and minimize contact with wildlife, the tourist development in question will not endanger the Komodo dragon population," an official from the Ministry of the Environment said in a statement this week. .

Conservationists have long feared that mass tourism, trafficking and declining prey numbers threaten the survival of the Komodo dragon.

Last year, Indonesia gave up on closing tourists access to the national park where these animals live, saying it would instead limit the number of visitors and increase the price of admission to make it a "premium destination" .

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