In 2003 there were 6 "incidents" involving Komodo Dragons = All in Indonesia on Flores Island.



A few years ago, 1-2 a fellow died in his Denver apartment, and his nile monitors fed on his carcass - as any varanid would do in a situation like that; the nile monitors are still alive and well in a Maine Zoo I believe.



In the 'thousands' of reports I have read on nile monitors in their native Africa - there have only been 3 incidents where people reacted hysterical to their presence - NONE of these persons was attacked in any way by the lizard - the 'hysteria' was caused either by these Africans trying to flee the presence of the lizard or hapharzardly came upon a lizard: 1) a mugger jumped into a drainage ditch and encountered a 5 foot nile monitor, and the people chasing him cornered him between them and the lizard (1996); 2) a boy was holding a nile monitor by the body using the tail as a whip chasing his friends and got knocked out by same tail (1959); 3) A woman saw a nile monitor on her lawn, and went screaming how it was going to eat her (1999).



As for Sharon Stone's husband - it was not his fault = he is not a zookeeper or a biologist but a hollywood mogle = put blame where it belongs: the zoo keeper. NOT the lizard either - it was just doing what it is supposed to do = eat rats.



This Floridian thing is NON-SENSE - and it will continue as long as people have an interest in it. Is there a correlation between the 'biologists' who are currently culling them in the name of 'protection' of Floridian wildlife and the news articles? Personally, I would be more afraid of a boa constrictor than a nile monitor, whether it be 2-3-4-5-6 feet compared to a boa that could swallow larger prey, conceal itself better, and in most cases are ound of siginificant size under peoples' homes digesting the local dog, cat, racoon, etc....and as far I know there are NO authenticated reports of them eating a human either.



mbayless

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