Tour Guides, Tourists Disturbing Komodo Dragon To Be Blacklisted

KUPANG, E Nusa Tenggara, April 9 (Antara) - Tour guides and tourists disturbing critically endangered Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis), and damaging their habitats, will get blacklisted and banned from entering the conservation zone. Budi Kurniawan, head of the Komodo National Park (TNK) said that his officers have warned few tourist guides who were violating their licenses by taking tourists to inappropriately play with the protected species. If these tour guides commit similar wrongdoings against Komodo Dragon, their licenses will be immediately revoked, the national park head stressed. "Besides the tour guides, we also have warned several boat owners and tour operators. If these people violate their licenses for the second times, they will be permanently banned from operating in the Komodo National Park," Kurniawan informed Antara in Kupang, Monday. Few guides were caught taking tourists to dangerously "play with the Komodo Dragon". Their actions are prohibited at the animal's main habitats on Nusa Kabe Island and in the southern side of Rinca Island. After the incident that had been recorded went viral, the Komodo National Park immediately called the tour guides for the clarification and probe. "These tour guides have admitted their wrongdoings against the animal, and have signed a statement that they would not commit a similar action again," he added. Kurniawan further explained that the prohibition of closely interacting or playing with the Komodo Dragon is applied to all operators, boat owners, the tour guides, and tourists. All visitors need to get the permission from the Komodo National Park Authority before performing any activities in the animal's main habitats. Hence following the incident, the agency will release a guide map of the Komodo Dragon habitat for tourists. The map will determine which areas are opened to public, as well as the prohibited zones. "Next week, we will launch a guide map to prevent a similar incident from occurring," he noted. The agency will also display a warning sign for tourists to not approach the habitats without supervision. "We will continue to oversee the tourist activities in the animal's habitats," he remarked. After the incident, Abed Frans, head of Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA) of East Nusa Tenggara Office, has blasted the tour guide's action to the animal. "As a tour and travel agencies association, we regret the tour guide's insensitive behavior," Frans remarked. In the viral video, few guides were seen taking some tourists by boat to an island that is part of the Komodo National Park. On the video, Komodo Dragons were seen swimming toward the boat, and the guides sought to dispel the animal by a wooden stick. After the encounter, the animals were back swimming to the island. The Komodo National Park is situated on Komodo Island, and the neighboring Rinca Island and Nusa Kabe Island. The islands are part of the diving spots and sailing routes for tourists in East Nusa Tenggara.