© Michel Terrettaz / WWF-Canon

Hungry for power – and food – Komodo dragons dominate the Indonesian islands they inhabit, prowling the tropical islands with a commanding ferocity.  It’s no wonder the Komodo dragon has inspired some of the most fear-inducing monsters in Hollywood history.
 
Classified as a vulnerable species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List, there are an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 Komodo dragons in the wild.
 
You’ll have a chance to see the fearsome beasts in person on our Papua New Guinea to Bali tour this fall.
 
10. The Komodo dragon is the world’s largest living lizard species; it can grow to nearly 10 feet long and average 150 pounds (though researchers have discovered some weighing in excess of 300 pounds). Because the islands they inhabit have no other carnivorous wildlife, they dominate that wedge of the food chain, thus leading to their “island gigantism.”
 
9. Komodo dragons are suspected to have thrived for millions of years, yet they were only discovered less than 100 years ago.
 
8. Komodo National Park was established in 1980 to protect the vulnerable species from poaching and human encroachment, among other threats.
 
7. Female dragons lay their eggs in the abandoned dug-out nests of the chicken-like megapode. Numbering up to 30, the eggs incubate for around nine months.

© Michel Terrettaz / WWF-Canon

6. Possessing moderately poor vision and hearing, a monitor lizard uses the sense of smell as its main food detector. It has a forked tongue that “samples” the air, processing the scent through specialized organs on the roof of its mouth – much the same way a snake does.
 
5. A Komodo dragon can swallow whole prey the size of a goat. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to do so. Sometimes a dragon will ram the carcass against a tree to help push it down its throat – the force it uses to do so is so powerful that the tree sometimes falls down.
 
4. Because of an immensely slow metabolism, the monitor lizard can subsist on as few as 12 meals a year.
 
3. Researchers debate whether the venom in a dragon’s mouth contributes all that much to a prey’s death. More significant, some scientists say, is the shock and blood loss that results from the bite. The Komodo dragon has 60 curved, serrated teeth that pack a punch.
 
2. Baby Komodo dragons are vulnerable to cannibalism by adults, which comprises 10 percent of its diet from comsuming its species’ young ones. As a result, juveniles spend the beginning of their lives living in trees. Their claws make them ideal climbers, but only when young – they become too heavy to climb trees as adults.
 
1.Animals that escape the jaws of a dragon attack never end up lucky: A Komodo dragon’s mouth is stewing with an estimated 60 different strains of bacteria that infect a prey after a bite. Sepsis sets in within hours and death usually occurs within a day, with the dragon stalking the dying prey closely.

Visit Komodo National Park on WWF’s Papua New Guinea to Bali cruise, scheduled December 2-20, 2010.

Cantu shared with WWF this stirring video he made while observing whale sharks feeding underwater near Holbox Island.

Join us for our Expedition Whale Sharks August 8-13, 2010.

Patan Durbar Square © Bayon | Dreamstime.com

Explore Kathmandu’s cultural sites and trek through the undulating valleys of the mountains that stretch as far as the eye can see in the March edition of the WWF Travel enewsletter.

Missed a past issue or two? Read them at our enewsletter archive. Or sign up to have Travel and other WWF e-newsletters delivered directly to your inbox.

Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse. Courtesy KarmaQuest.

It was a fact-finding mission of a different sort when Trishna Gurung took to the rugged, swooping trails across the mountains and valleys of the legendary Everest trail in Nepal a few years ago.

Gurung, a WWF communication manager who hails from the small Asian republic sandwiched between India and China, was on a team filming climate change impacts on Himalayan glaciers with WWF climate scientist Sandeep Rai and Payal Shakya, who was crowned Miss Nepal in 2004.

Gurung shared with us 10 of her top tips for trekking in the Himalayas.

10. When getting ready for the trip, pack everything, then unpack half of it. Even though you’ll have porters on your trek, lighten your load. One pair of good, broken-in hiking boots and a pair of waterproof sandals, like Tevas, are enough. Don’t skimp on enough proper socks, though.

9. While on the trail, you’ll encounter mounds of carved rocks.  These are Mani stones, usually inscribed  with the sacred Buddhist mantra “Om mani padme hum.” Think of them as outdoor shrines, and show your respect by walking around the left, always keeping the Mani stones on your right hand side.

8. No matter what your skill level, walking sticks are invaluable. I’d guess they gave me at least 30 percent more efficiency while tackling the trail, especially when walking downhill. You’ll see that many porters use sturdy wooden staffs, too; they double as stands on which they prop their loads when taking a little break. 

7. Yaks get right of way, always. When you encounter the wooly beast on a trail, it’s a good idea to scramble up to higher ground. Yaks, after all, are big animals, and your toes are vulnerable—even in hiking boots—to getting stomped. Walking sticks are extremely handy to respectfully wave in the air, get their attention and try to wave them off the route.

6. Sun block and sunglasses are absolutely essential. Get the highest SPF you can and make sure your sunglasses offer 100 percent ultraviolet protection and have mirrored lenses and side protectors. An added advantage? You’ll look like a rugged, pro trekker in your photos!

Gurung, second from right, interviewing a local with Miss Nepal and her friend to her left. © WWF Nepal

5. Chewing gum and a great playlist are good for the soul. When I trek, chewing gum and a varied set of music on my Mp3 player help me keep pace. (Litter is a real problem in the Everest Region, so dispose of your gum properly.) If you want something new for your ears, traditional Nepali music from Kutumba and Sur Sudha is inspiring; rock bands like 1974AD and Nepathya will definitely help you keep a great pace.

4. Stick your tongue out as a sign of greeting – it’s perfectly acceptable. But you may be more comfortable simply saying the Tibetan greeting “tashi delek” or the Nepali equivalent “namaste” while on the trail. The latter is usually accompanied by hands held in a prayer-like position.

3. Carry a wind-up, battery-free flashlight. Batteries tend not to last as long in cold climates, plus wind-up flashlights are more environmentally sound.

2. Be a locavore. Sure, you’ll get Snickers and spaghetti on the trail but where else in the world can you try yak steak? Do sample momos, Nepali steamed dumplings, and you’ll be a fan like all of us. Don’t pass on the Tibetan tea – made from salt and yak butter (better to think of it as tea soup). Beware of the local alcohol. It packs quite a sneaky punch. I know.

1. Don’t “power through” any symptoms of altitude sickness. Stay hydrated and pay attention to your body. One night, at around 15,500 feet, I had a pounding headache, coupled with a loss of balance, nausea and delusions. I recall weeping over my poor motherless children—this, before I ever had kids! Respect your body and respect the mountain.

 Join WWF’s Nepal Trek, October 10-29, 2010

Photographing Atlantic puffins along the coast of Iceland. © Ralph Lee Hopkins

Beloved by birders and nature enthusiasts everywhere, puffins are one of the most widely recognized birds of the North. With a colorful bill that seems too perfectly painted to be real, puffins have a photogenic, cartoon-like appeal. Searching for them on an Arctic tour is a must. 

10. Puffins only possess Technicolor bills – and their matching orange feet – during the spring breeding season. Just before winter sets in, they shed the colorful outer bill, leaving a noticeably smaller and duller-colored beak. 

9. There are four species of puffins, three of which are slightly distinguishable from one another. The Atlantic and horned puffins look quite similar, with the exception of a blue-grey triangle at the base of the Atlantic puffin’s beak. During the mating season, straw-like feathers protrude from the crown of the tufted puffin’s head. The fourth species, the rhinoceros auklet, doesn’t look like the other three – it’s ashen colored, with a rhino-like protrusion during the breeding season. But it’s still technically a puffin. 

8. The puffins’ genus name, Fratercula,comes from the Latin for “little brother.” The name refers to the sea bird’s black and white plumage, which was said to resemble the robes that monks once wore. 

7. A puffin weighs about the same as a can of Coke. 

Puffins colonize along the cliffs on the Faroe Islands midway between Scotland and Iceland. © Ólavur Fredriksen/VisitFaroeislands.com

6. Puffins lay just one egg per year – and usually with the same mate. Like some penguins, both parents take turns incubating the egg and caring for the chick. 

5. Puffins may chatter up a storm at their breeding colonies, but they remain perfectly silent while at sea. 

4. There are currently eight isles around the world named Puffin Island – so named because they all are or once were home to large colonies of puffins. 

3. A puffin can fly as fast as 55 mph. Compared with other auks, which tend to stay just a few feet above the sea, puffins usually maintain a cruising altitude of around 30 feet. 

Horned puffins are found throughout the north Pacific’s Bering Sea. © Zegrahm Expeditions

2. Sixty percent of the world’s puffins breed in Iceland. 

1.Puffins are one of the few birds that have the ability to hold several small fish in their bills at a time. Their raspy tongues and spiny palates allow them to firm grasp 10 to 12 fish during one foraging trip. They thus can bring more food back to their young compared with other seabirds that tend to swallow and regurgitate meals for their chicks. 

See puffins on one of several 2010 tours with WWF: 

•  Viking Saga: Norway, Scotland, Faroes & Iceland, May 24 – June 7, 2010

See the world’s greatest concentration of polar bears, just outside Churchill, Manitoba, in Canada on WWF’s tour, scheduled for October 21-27, 2010.

On thin ice

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With an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears living in the wild, the species is not currently classified as endangered. But scientists believe that polar bears will be vulnerable to extinction within the next century if current warming trends continue unabated. © Steven Morello

New Headings donates 20% of all sales to WWF in support of global conservation efforts.

© Jürgen Freund / WWF-Canon

President and CEO of WWF-US, Carter Roberts, shares thoughts on his experience swimming with whale sharks.

We left Isla Holbox at dawn, transported by a local fisherman at the helm of a 20-foot skiff. We were off the north coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, where some of the world’s largest concentrations of manta rays and whale sharks come to feed and calve their young. Our timing was perfect. The sea was as smooth as glass, and dozens of whale sharks and a few mantas lazily fed on zooplankton at the surface.

My wife Jackie and I had brought our three young children on an unforgettable adventure in July: to swim with whale sharks – a lifetime’s dream for me. Whale sharks, which have inhabited the Earth for millions of years, are the largest fish in the world, and can grow up to 45 feet long. These massive filter-feeder fish, with dark grey skin and a gorgeous array of spots, pose little danger to humans. Highly migratory, they cross thousands of miles to feeding grounds in many different regions of the world, including the Gulf of California, where the cold and warm ocean currents mix.

Whale sharks are good indicators of ocean productivity and play a flagship role for the conservation of other marine species. But local refuge managers have expressed concern about their potential for harm — from the pollution leaching from a Cancun landfill, pesticides used on golf courses in the Riviera Maya, to too many shark-watching boats operating without proper care or procedures.

A few years ago, after operators became concerned that tourists were touching and riding the whale sharks, WWF held ecoregional workshops to develop sound management practices that protect the fish while preserving income alternatives for communities. And just a week before we arrived in Holbox, the town hosted the second International Whale Shark Conference, where operators and researchers from 21 countries collaborated and compared best practices. One of the most significant findings from the conference was that whale sharks stand a better chance of survival in places where they are valued – whether for their religious significance or their income-generating charisma.

In Holbox, it’s safe to say that the ecotourism around whale sharks is a major driver of the local economy. Fortunately, this economic value drives local policies. All operators must abide by a strict code of ethics and signs are posted on every boat, telling tourists and guides how to visit the sharks without harming them – which at this critical stage of their life cycle would be tantamount to killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

It’s clearer every day that intact ecosystems – from forests that sequester carbon to seas that support whale sharks — hold a whole set of bundled values for humankind. That’s why it’s so profoundly important to protect natural systems. My family and I were reminded of that when we swam with the whale sharks, face to face – reminded of the awe that the natural world inspires in all of us, and the imperative to act on that inspiration.

Join WWF’s Expedition Whale Sharks adventure, scheduled August 8-13, 2010.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like Message from the Field: Gina DeFerrari on Whale Sharks.