The Komodo dragon lives up to its name: nearly 200 pounds of lizard, 8 feet from tail to tongue, with teeth like a shark.
Its bite implants venom that can stop your heart within hours. That’s if you don’t bleed out first. The creature tends to grip and rip, sinking jaws into prey and tearing off limbs.
But its fearsome reputation is exactly what makes the beast so attractive to a certain type of tourist — one willing to pay good money for a selfie with a so-called “dragon” in the background.
Charging foreigners for an encounter with these giant lizards is a niche industry in Indonesia’s Flores Island and its environs.
