komodo dragon in Puerto Rico

My dad just called to tell me that a Komodo dragon was found in the island in the wilderness. I can't explain this but it seems that there are more and now they are coming to the city. But how did they get there? Biological experiments??? is the real Chupacabras? Maybe the Komodo dragon was used to create the Chupacabras.

What do you think?????

-relop

ps: a person killed the komodo dragon with a rifle. ((as far as i now))((i will get
more info to clarify all doubts))

[edit on 26-9-2005 by TheBandit795]

Maybe someone brought a lizard there not knowing what it was, then realizing what it was let it loose?

Originally posted by relop
What do you think?????

I think this belongs in another forum.

A komodo dragon in the Puerto Rican wilderness is as "alien" as a full-grown Burmese python in Miami or an alligator in Los Angeles.

When it comes to Puerto Rico and the things that have happened there, especially near Cabo Rojo, nothing surprises me about your Dad's thoughts.

Dallas

well...i found the article. it doesn't surprise me at all. the agent orange was tested in PR before it was used in Vietnan. maybe another secret experiment here.

also...just go to google and type: komodo dragon endi

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Hallazgo de un espécimen del “Dragón de Komodo”

Miércoles, 14 de septiembre de 2005

Por Agencia EFE

El Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) investigará las querellas de ciudadanos que han avistado reptiles raros en la periferia de la reserva natural Río Espíritu Santo en Río Grande.

La pesquisa se llevará a cabo luego de que en días recientes el funcionario a cargo de la reserva, Francisco Guzmán, hallara el cuerpo de un “Dragón de Komodo”, una especie exótica parecida a una iguana que es muy feroz, lleva en su boca bacterias virulentas y su mordisco puede ser fatal.

“Es la primera vez que se reporta un hallazgo de esta especie en Puerto Rico, por lo que entendemos que se trata de un caso aislado. Sin embargo, le solicitamos a los ciudadanos tomar las precauciones si se encuentran con ésta o con cualquier otra especie”, indicó Javier Vélez Arocho, secretario del DRNA, en un comunicado de prensa.

El funcionario mencionó que Guzmán ha atendido varias querellas de ciudadanos que han visto iguanas gigantescas en la zona y ninguna de las inspecciones rindió fruto, con excepción de la expedición en la que se halló la extraña especie. “Estaremos muy atentos a posibles informes de otros avistamientos debido a que una mordida de este animal puede causar septicemia, que es la presencia de bacterias en la sangre”, especificó el Secretario del DRNA.

El nombre científico del dragón de Komodo es Varanus comodoensis y es el lagarto viviente más grande y uno de los más antiguos del mundo. Puede llegar a medir hasta 10 pies y pesar hasta 120 libras. Es oriundo de varias islas en Indonesia, como la de Komodo. Ese tipo de lagarto no demuestra mucha actividad durante el día, pero se convierte en un auténtico cazador al amanecer, atardecer y en las primeras horas de la noche. “El animal tiene excelentes capacidades natatorias y llega a desplazarse de isla en isla con extraordinaria facilidad”, indicó Vélez Arocho.



for the non-believers....this is the link: www.endi.com...

Komodo dragons are known to swim long distances, however I doubt that this one swam from its native islands near Indonesia all the way up to Puerto Rico. It probably just escaped from someone.

[edit on 17-9-2005 by Wolvaurynphamir]

Originally posted by relop
well...i found the article. it doesn't surprise me at all. the agent orange was tested in PR before it was used in Vietnan. maybe another secret experiment here.

also...just go to google and type: komodo dragon endi

-----------

Komodo Dragons are Just Big lizards from the island of Komodo in Indonesia. There is no secret experimentation here probally someone's illegaly obtained Pet that got too big and dangerous so they just released it.

Originally posted by relop
well...i found the article. it doesn't surprise me at all. the agent orange was tested in PR before it was used in Vietnan. maybe another secret experiment here.

also...just go to google and type: komodo dragon endi

Komodo Dragons are Just Big lizards from the island of Komodo in Indonesia. There is no secret experimentation here probally someone's illegaly obtained Pet that got too big and dangerous so they just released it.

[edit on 18-9-2005 by Senor_Vicente]

Well my family live in Rio Grande and this is the first time I heard of something like that in the Island. the conditions in the Island are favorable for this type of lizards, we have the only rain forest in the nation.

So I am not surprised that somebody brought it to the Island just like the monkeys now running around because some research lab let them escape.

Originally posted by relop
What do you think?????

Its either not a komodo dragon (there are lots of monitor lizards out there with the komodo being the largest) or it a released exotic pet.

maybe another secret experiment here.

Seriously man, why think that this is a secret experiment? Involving komodo dragons???

for the non-believers

Its not that the story is at all unbeleivable, its just that there isn't much of a reason to think its from a secret experiment.

we have the only rain forest in the nation.

*pushes nerdy glasses up with forefinger*
well actually there are rainforests in Washington State, however they are termperate rainforests *straightens pens in pocket protector*

[edit on 19-9-2005 by Nygdan]

Originally posted by marg6043
we have the only rain forest in the nation.

Hawaii certainly has tropical rainforests, I've been to them myself

Originally posted by djohnsto77

Originally posted by marg6043
we have the only rain forest in the nation.

Hawaii certainly has tropical rainforests, I've been to them myself

I was in Hawaii for 3 years my son was born there, but the forest in Hawaii can reach temperatures in the winter that can bring snow, I was there the last time that snow in the mountains in only lasted a day, their flora is not even closes to the one of the El Yunque in PR, but I will have to agree that their beaches are the most beautiful ones.

PR is the only rain forest in the US its tropical makeup and flora has ferns that are from prehistoric times.

Only when you are in our forest you will see that most of their foliage is like never you have seen before, the lushness that the warm and hot weather gives to it makes the trees and everything else grow in sizes only found in tropical rain forest.

You can even get lost in the deep parts of it, because is too lush and you can not reach the canopy of the trees unless you climb a tree.



[edit on 20-9-2005 by marg6043]

Aruba is filled now with Boa's and their offspring. A lot of people had them as pets, it became to expensive to feed them, so they let them go free. Now the indigenous fauna is dissapearing...

Same thing with crocs and caymans some years back, although those were just one or two.

It's just people wanting to have exotic, dangerous pets without taking the costs of having those pets into consideration. Stupid people, that's all there is to it.

Originally posted by TheBandit795
Aruba is filled now with Boa's and their offspring. A lot of people had them as pets, it became to expensive to feed them, so they let them go free. Now the indigenous fauna is dissapearing...

Same thing with crocs and caymans some years back, although those were just one or two.

It's just people wanting to have exotic, dangerous pets without taking the costs of having those pets into consideration. Stupid people, that's all there is to it.

I hate when people get "exotic pets" because they think they are cool and they are just not in your house or your indigenous habitat, go see them in a zoo!

Originally posted by sdrumrunner

Originally posted by relop
What do you think?????

A komodo dragon in the Puerto Rican wilderness is as "alien" as a full-grown Burmese python in Miami or an alligator in Los Angeles.

It's not entirely impossible. I wouldn't doubt someone brought it over accidentally. After all, there have been confirmed reports of wild kangaroos in the midwest US.

To me it's selfish and inconsiderate to take an animal out of it's original enviroment to have as a pet.

Then again, I'm being a hypocrite. I like going to zoo's.

Can a mod fix this title? I'm tired of hearing about the Komodo "gragon"

Strange, I didn't see it untill you mentioned it DJ..

I love komodo dragons and regardless of how they got there they should be protected. And if anyone shot one of those dragons I hope they go to jail for attempting to kill an animal under the endangered species list.

My grandmother was raised there and said that komodo dragons were all over the place when she was a kid.

P.S. She lived in La Playa (just outside of Ponce)