Komodo dragons are the world largest lizards, confined to a few Indonesian islands. Tourism pressure and climate change threatening their island ecosystem raise important welfare questions.
Komodo dragon welfare is primarily a habitat integrity question. Their island ecosystems are small and closed, making them particularly vulnerable to prey depletion and habitat change. Tourist pressure causes behavioural changes including habituation and altered activity patterns. Close tourist encounters cause acute stress responses. Sea level rise represents an existential threat: even modest inundation of low-lying coastal areas reduces the available habitat for both the dragons and their prey on already-small islands.