Indonesia's Komodo Dragon tourism project plan will be established even after UNESCO warned them of its effects. One of these hindrances is that it will endanger the local dragon population if they do not reassess it.
The island is home to the largest population of komodo dragons, the largest lizard in the world, hence the name.
The project, heavily called a "Jurassic Park" in social media, will go on as planned, said the country's tourism ministry last Thursday.
UNESCO raises concern over Komodo National Park project
Similarly, people were against the fictional park established. It is nearly the same on the Komodo island, and the only difference is the real 10-foot dragons living there. Bringing them into close interaction with humans may not be the wisest choice.
The statement came as UNESCO had raised concerns about the project's potentially negative environmental impact but pushed for a further environmental assessment.
Development is being built with the Komodo National Park, an acknowledged UNESCO World Heritage site that started last year. But it raised concern over the impact on the local reptile population, raised by locals and activists, reported the Independent UK.
Komodo island is named after the largest living lizards that grow more than 10-feet long and have sharp meat cleaving teeth. They like to hunt huge water buffalo as prey.
On the three Indonesian islands are 3,000 Komodos have lived in the area and evolved for a million years or more. Indonesia is planning several developments on the islands for the Komodo Dragon tourism project.
People against the plan say the human impact on the Komodos will be immeasurable, as it will upend the balance in the local habitat.
#Wildlife #photographer get a moment at #Rinca Island in #Komodo National Park @covtelegraph https://t.co/Jk1j1eNnNj pic.twitter.com/kZH3wfnOcj
— Almira Trip (@AlmiraTrip) February 24, 2016
Local people say they have gotten used to living with the cold-blooded predators and said there might be grave consequences for the project. It might affect the lizards once people take over their areas.
According to Rima Melani Bilaut of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI), the government must develop tourism based on people's needs, especially those who live there, noted by Reuters.
However, the Indonesian government said the project would change how national parks are seen worldwide and is being carried out carefully.
Komodo Dragon Project will push through despite warnings
The Indonesian government responded by saying it will showcase how to run national parks all over the globe. Others are not so confident of the statement.
Despite warnings, the head of the Komodo National Park, Kita Awan Nistyantara, stated in news channel Al Jazeera that nothing will go wrong and noted that last year that "the construction is being done very carefully and that the contractors took not a single tree down.
A month ago, Unesco officials told the World Heritage Committee conference that a new environmental inquiry would be ordered. The focus will be illegal fishing and the sensitive home of the enormous reptiles.
Environment official Inung Wiratno, a senior officer, said that the 'controversial project would be going ahead, last Thursday because of no proven impact. The focus of the development is Rinca island which has the second most plentiful number of dragons from alleged accounts. When the new tourist hub is done, it will be a top draw for many visitors.
Last December, a worker had been attacked by a komodo dragon during his construction of a £4.8 million resort at Rinca. This had happened not long after the beginning of the establishment of the park. Like the dinos in Jurassic Park, the dragons drew first blood.
