Calgary Zoo Komodo dragon dies at age 30
Loka was the worlds oldest Komodo dragon in captivity, according to zoo officials
A 30-year-old Komodo dragon named Lokadied on Monday at the Calgary Zoo.
"She will be missed by all who cared for her," posted the zoo on its Facebook page.
Loka was believed to be the oldest of her kind in captivity.
- MORE CALGARY NEWS |Bear warning issued for all of Kananaskis Country
- MORE CALGARY NEWS |Butterbeer and Hogwarts breakfast bennies: Diagon Alley is coming to Calgary
The zoo said she arrived in Calgary in 2014 from the Toronto Zoo and, as a geriatric animal, was placed underveterinary care.
Officials said the lizard'sappetite dropped in the last 10 days before her death.
The zoo says up to5,000 Komodo dragons arebelieved to be still be livingin the wild.
Here are some other facts about Komodo dragons from the Calgary Zoo:
- They are the largest lizard in the world.
- Average length:2.4 to2.7 metres.
- Average weight: 50 to 90 kilograms.
- Conservation status:Endangered.
- They live in hilly and rugged volcanic areas that are hot and dry, such asthe Indonesian islandof Komodo, or in both tropical dry and deciduous monsoon forests insoutheastern areas of the country.
- Scientific name:Varanus komodoensis.
- Komodos eat large chunks of food because of "loosely-articulated jaws" and powerful neck muscles, and can consume up to 80 per cent of theirown body weight.