CNN
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Wildlife lovers planning to travel to Komodo Island in 2020 to play with the largest lizards on Earth will have to adjust their Indonesian travel plans.
Government officials will close the popular island to tourists for a year, local media reported.
A report in Indonesia’s Tempo newspaper quoted provincial government spokesman Marius Jelamu as saying Komodo would be off-limits from January 2020.
So why shut down one of Indonesia’s most popular tourist destinations?
While the plan to limit the number of visitors to Komodo has been discussed for months, Tempo reported that the shutdown was in response to the busting in March of an alleged smuggling ring that took 41 Komodo lizards off the island and sold them abroad for 500 million rupees (about $35,000) each.
During the closure, officials will reportedly launch a conservation plan aimed at boosting dragon populations while protecting their habitat.
June Crisvanto/AFP/Getty Images
This juvenile Komodo dragon was captured by authorities in Indonesia during an anti-smuggling operation in March.
Known for their venomous bites and enormous size, these protected animals can reach lengths of up to 10 feet and weigh up to 70 kilograms.
Komodo Island, part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Komodo National Park, has grown in popularity in recent years, thanks to the addition of flights and hotels in the town of Labuan Bajo, near Flores Island. The park currently receives an average of 10,000 visitors per month.
According to UNESCO, there are more than 5,000 dragons scattered across the national parks of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motong and some coastal areas to the west and north of Flores.
Only Komodo Island will be closed; the rest of the national park will remain open to tourists, Tempo reported.
In addition to giant lizards, the area offers excellent diving and snorkelling opportunities as well as breathtaking scenery.
CNN Travel has contacted the Indonesian Tourism Board for clarification on the closure, but has yet to receive an official response.
News of the impending Komodo island travel ban is the latest in a series of high-profile closures ordered by major Southeast Asian tourist destinations in the name of restoration.
Thailand’s Maya Bay, made famous by the 2000 film The Beach, has been closed since June 2018 as part of a revitalization plan to restore the area’s damaged coral and install more boat docks, among other activities.
A reopening date has not yet been announced.
Meanwhile, the famous Philippine island of Boracay reopened in October 2018 after being closed for six months due to a massive cleanup operation.
