Seven Komodo Dragons Hatched in Indonesia Zoo

New hope rises for the endangered lizard species, the Komodo dragon. Seven rare Komodo dragons were hatched successfully March 10 at the Surabaya Zoo in eastern Java, Indonesia.

The successful hatching was part of an artificial breeding program that aims to save and increase the number of the world's largest lizard. The breeding program involves incubation and protecting the species from predatory adult dragons and also placing microchips in the young lizards in order to monitor their progress, reports AFP.

Reports according to AFP state that nearly 21 eggs produced from two Komodo dragons were kept in incubation at Surabaya Zoo and monitored by the officials. The first batch was produced last year in the month of September and the second one in the month of October. This year, seven Komodo dragons were hatched successfully.

"Some of the eggs from the first Komodo did not hatch, which is normal. We're hoping for another seven or eight from the second clutch, which are due to hatch around April or May," zoo spokesman Anthan Warsito was quoted as saying in AFP.

The genders of the newly-hatched Komodo dragons are yet to be identified. The zoo houses a total of 63 Komodo dragons.

Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards, and are mainly found on the Indonesian Islands. They can grow to a maximum of 10 ft in length and can weigh up to 150 kg. They dominate the ecosystem where they exist. They mainly feed on deer and eat a considerable amount of carrion. They have been listed as a vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List.  The life span of these lizards is between 20-30 years. There are just 5,000 Komodo dragons left in the wild.