The three Komodo dragons, who are six months old, have moved into their new home at Chester Zoo after arriving from Colchester.
The youngsters can now be seen in the zoo’s Islands in Danger exhibit, which is also home to two larger dragons Jantan and Ora.
Curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates Dr Gerardo Garcia said: “Our feisty new trio may be small at the moment but they’ll soon grow into impressive young ladies.
“With them being just a few months old they are fed every four days, unlike our older dragons who currently feed every month. It’s really important that our keepers get to work closely with dragons of different ages as they are very, very different. The intensive care they give to these animals and all of the skills they learn working with them here, can be transferred to the field and could be crucial in terms of protecting them in the wild.”
Chester Zoo supports conservation work with Komodo dragons on Flores, one of the Indonesian isles where the species lives in the wild.
The project helps educate people about the importance of dragons, monitors dragon numbers, sets up warden patrols and protects the local environment which is home to a wealth of animal and plant life.
Book your tickets online and beat the queues with Fast Track entry >