Tourists dragging a dolphin out of the ocean for a selfie, someone on a candelabra-destroying rampage in Rome's Pantheon, a group of "well-meaning" bison-nappers in Yellowstone: The callous tourist comes in many forms. The latest in tourists behaving badly? A Singaporean visitor in West Manggarai, part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara, ignored locals' warnings as he approached a mid-meal Komodo dragon to take photos and, unsurprisingly, the carnivorous reptile snapped back.
As the Jakarta Post reports, the 50-year-old Singaporean man was in the region to visit Komodo National Park, an area known for its scuba diving and dinosaur-like residents, when he came across a group of Komodo dragons eating pigs and goats that belonged to the local villagers. When he approached the animals, ignoring the warnings of the locals who knew better, one of the dragons took a bite at his leg, leaving him with severe injuries. A group of good samaritans quickly dragged him away from the feeding frenzy and rushed him to a nearby medical center, after which he was put on a military speed boat to be treated at a hospital on another island.
The head of Komodo National Park, Sudiyono (who, like many Indonesians, only goes by one name) seemed to believe that the incident could easily have been avoided. "He must have been too close," Sudiyono told the Jakarta Post. "A Komodo doesn’t like to be disturbed when eating.”
Additionally, it appears that the man had been staying with locals in the area in order to save money, instead of in the national park where experienced rangers guide walking safaris to see the Komodo dragons. "The incident took place away from the area set by us where tourists are allowed to observe Komodos. I also appeal to all tourists to take guides with you when wandering around to see Komodo dragons.” Sudiyono said. It is the first instance of a Komodo dragon attacking a human in five years, according to Sudiyono.
Komodo dragons, which can only be found on a cluster of islands in Indonesia, are the world's largest lizards. In 2009, scientists discovered that the animal's bite contains a blood-pressure-reducing venom, which explains its common hunting tactic of taking a bite of its prey and then stalking it until it's weak enough for a final kill.
What's the lesson here? In the company of predators with razor sharp teeth and a debilitating bite, listen to the experts—whether that's a park ranger leading a guided tour or the locals who live among the beasts. Leave the photography to Planet Earth.