Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Baby Komodos Missing, Police Investigate

A male baby komodo feeds on raw meat at the Surabaya Zoo in December 2010. It is one of the 21 babies that hatched at the zoo in March 2010. (Antara Photo) A male baby komodo feeds on raw meat at the Surabaya Zoo in December 2010. It is one of the 21 babies that hatched at the zoo in March 2010. (Antara Photo)

Jakarta Globe
March 22, 2011

Surabaya Police is investigating the mystery of the missing baby komodos that disappeared from Surabaya Zoo in February.

“We are handling the case of the missing komodos seriously,” Surabaya Police deputy chief of detectives Comr. Sudamiran said, as quoted by news portal detik.com.

Sudamiran said the zoo’s management met with Surabaya Police Chief Sr. Comr. Coki Manurung to inform him that three baby komodo dragaons were missing.

Sudamiran said an investigation was ongoing.

“We will let the public know when we have a result,” he said.

Zoo director Toni Sumampau said the one-year-old komodos had been taken care of by a team of five special keepers, who were responsible for feeding them, cleaning their enclosure and preventing visitors from feeding them.

“The keepers are the only ones who would know if the babies escaped from their cages, were eaten by predators or stolen. The police are questioning them,” Toni said.

The zoo, which currently has 60 komodo dragons, has been breeding the giant lizards since 2009. The babies are separated from the adults to prevent them from being eaten by larger komodos.

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