A Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard and an endangered species, will be housed at a central Japan zoo, the city of Nagoya said Monday, making it the only one of its kind to be exhibited in the country.
The reptile, a 13-year-old male named "Taro," will arrive in Japan on July 18 and be exhibited at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens from around late August, the city said.
(Photo courtesy of Singapore Zoo)(Kyodo)
"We have finally managed to bring (a Komodo dragon) here after intense negotiations. Please look forward to it," Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura said at a press conference.
During his election campaigns, Kawamura had promised to introduce attention-grabbing animals, such as a Komodo dragon, to the zoo.
Singapore Zoo, which has been housing the giant lizard, decided to transfer it due to lack of space after receiving a female Komodo dragon for breeding purposes.
Taro, owned by Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens, will be offered on loan to the Higashiyama Zoo.
Komodo dragons, a species native to Indonesia and designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, can grow to over 3 meters in length and weigh more than 160 kilograms.
They have previously been exhibited in Japan at the Ueno Zoo and Sapporo Maruyama Zoo in Hokkaido, according to Nagoya city.