Komodo Survival Program: An NGO’s approach to assisting Komodo dragon conservation and management

The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)—also known as the Komodo Monitor—is the world’s largest lizard and is a highly range-restricted species that only persists on five islands in southeastern Indonesia. Despite being one of the first reptile recipients of conservation and management efforts, natural and anthropogenic threats continue to affect the abundance and distribution of this species. An Indonesian non-governmental organization, the Komodo Survival Program (KSP), was established in 2007 to develop a multifaceted approach to Komodo Dragon conservation. We describe how KSP has expanded existing conservation actions over the last decade to facilitate conservation of the Komodo Dragon in both protected and non-protected areas. Our approach has focused on (1) wildlife population monitoring, (2) technical training of government staff in wildlife population monitoring, (3) increasing protection in reserves, (4) community conservation initiatives, (5) sustainable development and alternative livelihoods, and (6) mitigating human-Komodo Dragon conflict. The KSP has successfully achieved several of our project objectives, such as establishing long-term and broad-scale wildlife monitoring and developing community-based conservation initiatives. However, we recognize that the ongoing conservation of Komodo Dragons will require continued attempts to integrate the actions of different stakeholders better to retain adequate habitats to allow populations to persist, especially in the face of accelerating global change.