Welcome Merlin, our Komodo dragon

Recently, the Montgomery Zoo received a Komodo Dragon upon the recommendation of the Species Survival Plan National Coordinator (SSP). We were able to construct and re-purpose an existing exhibit at the Zoo by converting it into our new temporary KOMODO DRAGON HABITAT.  Merlin, our two (2) year old male Komodo Dragon made his public debut on Wednesday, July 15.  He’s a looker! Right now, he stretches four feet long and topping the scales at 6 pounds. As a full-grown adult, Merlin will measure snout to tail over 10 feet long, and hit the scales at 200+ pounds. We look forward to the day he is able to enter our new Reptile Facility featuring a “Komodo Dragon Den and Education Theater”.  These are very exciting times for the expansion of the new Reptile Facility at the Montgomery Zoo.  

 
____________________________



Year of the Dragon
Jungle Drum article, published Spring 2020
Written by Ken Naugher, Zoo Deputy Director

Last year your Montgomery Zoo announced that we were expanding our wildlife conservation efforts beyond the zoo gates.  Our hope is that we can inspire the River Region and surrounding community to collectively use financial and human resources in order to make a global impact for wildlife conservation.  This effort would begin with the announcement of 2019 as the “Year of the Gharial”, a fundraising as well as a resource and education project dedicated to the gharial, a large critically endangered fish-eating crocodile, found only in a few river systems in Nepal and India.  As part of this effort, we hope to bring gharials to the zoo; and learn from them, pending permission from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 

In addition, in 2019 as part of our global conservation effort, we announced a long-term fundraising effort for the Montgomery Zoo Conservation Endowment Fund.  The idea here is that individuals, families, small business and corporations would be inspired to financially contribute to this fund, the monetary interest generated from this fund will be used to fund science –based field conservation projects in natural habitats around the globe.  The efforts are on-going; however, last year in cooperation with the Montgomery Area Zoological Society we were able to make a five-year financial commitment of $3,000 per year to the Gharial Ecology Project.  This project involves capture, tagging and radio-telemetry study of gharials in the Chambal River of India and Nepal.  Much has been learned about gharials due to this important project.  In addition, your Montgomery Zoo was able to make a five year financial commitment of $1,000 per year to help fund research at the Agumbe Rainforest Research Field Station, an enchanting nature reserve located in the central Western Ghats of southern India.  Get more information here agumberainforest.org.  Also, the Montgomery Zoo Conservation Endowment Fund began the growth phase, very exciting stuff.  These efforts were made possible by your generous support and by the efforts of the Montgomery Area Zoological Society.

In 2020, our conservation initiative will be the “Year of the Komodo Dragon”. The goal is to educate Zoo visitors about the ecology, behavior, and conservation value of komodo dragons while raising funds for research and to bring zoo-born komodo dragons to Montgomery for an educational display with conservation value.   As part of this initiative, financial and other resources will be given to the Komodo Survival Program and the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Komodo Dragon Species Survival Plan.  To learn more, visit komododragon.org and aza.org.  Please consider getting involved and donating your time and/or financial resources. 

For information about making financial contributions to help fund these projects, please contact us at (334) 625-4900 or zooinfo@montgomeryal.gov. There’s a lot to be excited about, come visit us at the Montgomery Zoo.