Komodo Dragon Facts:
Fatal Attacks

Komodo Dragon Facts: Attacks on people by these largest of all lizards are rare and usually are not fatal. The standard method of killing for a Komodo Dragon is to bite the prey and then let it run away. Komodos have a nasty cocktail of bacteria in their mouths that result in blood poisoning for the unfortunate prey.

The Komodos then just trail after the animal and wait for it to collapse. This method works well for them since they use little energy and are unlikely to get injured in a fight with their prey. This is also the reason most people are not killed in Komodo attacks, as they are able to get medical treatment to reverse the blood poisoning. This is treated with a broad spectrum suite of antibiotics.

Young Boy Killed

However in June 2007 an eight year old boy was killed by a Komodo dragon on the island of Komodo. According to news reports "the Komodo bit him on his waist and tossed him viciously from side to side". The boy was rescued by his uncle but died half an hour after the attack due to massive blood loss.

That must have been one hell of a large Komodo dragon. They can get up to 3.1 meters (10 feet) long and weigh over 100 kilograms, and this one must have been near the top of the size range.

Before Antibiotics

One can only imagine that before the introduction of antibiotics in this region, virtually every bite from a Komodo dragon would have been fatal.

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