The Nashville Zoo has announced that the new Komodo dragon habitat will officially open to the public on Thursday, July 27.
Once complete, this remarkable exhibit will claim the title of the largest Komodo dragon habitat in the Americas! The habitat is built to house up to two adult males, three adult females and juvenile Komodo dragons. It is located on the path to the Zoo’s HCA Veterinary Healthcare Center and will feature inside and outside viewing areas.
The outdoor yard will be the largest nationwide and will allow guests to see these giant lizards run for their treats during keeper talks.
At Nashville Zoo, several of the Komodos that will enjoy this space currently live behind-the-scenes. The Zoo’s eldest male Komodo dragon, Lil Sebastian, is the Zoo’s biggest lizard measuring 9 feet in length and can be seen in this habitat once it’s opened.
During colder months, the Komodo dragons can be viewed in their climate-controlled, indoor habitat while red-crowned cranes, a winter-hardy bird, will enjoy the outdoor habitat space.
Komodo dragons are dominant predators in the wild and eat just about anything from deer, mice, goats, pigs, rabbits and have even been known to take down horses or water buffalo. This species is known for being the heaviest lizard on earth and can reach up to ten feet in length weighing more than 300 pounds.
Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are only native to the tropical Lesser Sunda Indonesian Islands and are considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Nashville Zoo participates in the Komodo Dragon Species Survival Plan to help ensure genetically diverse dragon populations in human care.
Nashville Zoo helps protect this species in their native habitat by partnering with Komodo Survival Program, an organization dedicated to Komodo dragon educational initiatives and hands-on conservation work with wild populations.
