Komodo dragons are the world's largest lizards and present unique husbandry challenges. Their welfare in captivity requires specialised thermal management, space, and enrichment.
Komodo dragon welfare in captivity depends critically on thermal management. As ectotherms, they require access to basking spots at 35-40°C and cooler retreat areas around 25°C — without these gradients, digestion, immune function, and behaviour are all compromised. Enclosure design must accommodate their large size and natural locomotor behaviour; cramped spaces prevent normal movement and cause chronic muscle atrophy. They are intelligent animals that show problem-solving behaviour and individual personality differences — enrichment that challenges their cognitive abilities and mimics predatory behaviour (scent trails, puzzle feeding, novel substrates) is beneficial. Komodo dragons are generally housed individually due to aggression, which removes social companionship but reflects their naturally solitary ecology. The approximately 350 Komodo dragons in captivity worldwide serve important roles in insurance population management.