Indonesia government leaders are shutting down tourist visits to Komodo Island starting in January 2020, Indonesia’s newspaper Tempo reports.
The reason? Smugglers are stealing Komodo dragons from the island and selling them on the black market, according to several reports.
Government leaders have yet to announce when Komodo Island will reopen.
Conservationists will examine the lizards’ food supply, work on preserving endemic plant species and survey the natural environment. They hope the closure will help grow the Komodo dragon population.
The decision comes after the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry discovered a smuggling ring with intentions of selling 41 Komodo dragons for about $35,000 each, according to Complex.
Komodo dragons are a protected species. They are considered the largest living lizard in the world, capable of growing up to 10 feet long and weighing as much as 200 pounds.
It isn’t the first time a popular tourist island has closed for conservation purposes. In 2017, Thailand indefinitely closed four of its islands to protect coral reefs from too much tourism.
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