With the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance, we wandered a muddy trail through dense vegetation with palm trees towering overhead.  Anticipation hung in the still air as we were hiking within the range of the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world. We paused briefly to watch a group of yellow-crested cockatoos fly noisily overhead, their white plumage strongly contrasting with the dark green foliage beneath them.

 

We then rounded a bend before arriving at a small clearing in the forest. As we walked closer, it became clear that the three large brown logs lying in the clearing were in fact not logs at all. Three Komodo dragons, each more than 9 feet long and weighing several hundred pounds, were sprawled across the muddy ground. One sensed our presence and stood up, flicking its tongue in and out, tasting the air to determine what we were. We watched in awe for several minutes before moving on in silence, leaving this particular clearing to the dragons.