Zoo doubles its rare reptiles

A zoo in Indonesia is welcoming the arrival of 32 newborn Komodo dragons.

Agus Pangkat, of Surabaya Zoo, said the endangered lizards – thought to number less than 4,000 in the wild – hatched in the last two weeks. Fourteen eggs were still under observation.

The giant reptiles have been kept at the zoo since the early 1980s, but the new arrivals have swelled the population from 34 to 66. It has been their most successful breeding year there.

Komodo dragons can grow up to t10ft long and weigh up to 37 stones. Their bite can be deadly.