This is the remarkable moment a pair of Komodo dragons tore a goat to pieces after hunting the animal in a pack on the remote Indonesian island they call home.
Bearing more than a passing resemblance to their prehistoric dinosaur ancestors, the photographs show the dragons made short work of the doomed goat. The gory scene was captured by photographer Julia Sundukova, from Russia, while visiting Komodo Island, Indonesia. Incredibly, after the pair made short work of the goat another dragon, clearly looking for a free meal, joined in the frenzy as the massive predators tore their prey apart.
Ms Sundukova said: ‘The Komodo dragons on the island are wild, but a lot of people choose to feed them which has encouraged them to closer to humans. ‘There are too many dragons on the island for them to be able to hunt properly as there isn’t enough prey. But I managed to find a real interaction. When the dragons spotted the goat, their behaviour changed completely – before they had seemed quite lazy. ‘But as they went in for the kill, their laziness completely vanished and they became quite beautiful in how wild they were. It was tough to watch, as the goat didn’t stand a chance against such powerful predators.’
The goat, unaware it is being hunted by the massive predators, relaxes peacefully in the dirt on Komodo Island, IndonesiaIn the distance, the two massive Komodo dragons begin making their way out of the bushes towards the unsuspecting goatThe huge lizards, which grow to 10ft in length, are renowned for their adept hunting ability which allows them to dominate their ecosystemShowing remarkable dexterity, one of the Komodo dragons gives chase to the goat it was hoping to eatPhotographer Julia Sundukova, from Russia, said the lizards looked quite lazy until they began the huntThe goat desperately tries to sidestep the remarkably quick footed Komodo dragon during the height of the huntHowever, the unlucky goat was not able to escape the prehistoric predator after it bit through the animals’ back legsWith the goat pinned down on the dirt, the Komodo dragon closes in for the kill while his accomplice ambles towards the actionThe Komodo dragon, which is native to Komodo Island in Indonesia, has a powerful jaw and rows of small but sharp teethThe Komodo dragon is known for its remarkable ambush hunting technique during which it targets its preys’ throat and underbellyA second Komodo dragon joins in the hunt as the two ferocious animals begin tearing the goat to piecesThe enormous lizards use their tongues and keen sense of smell to locate prey from a range of up to 6milesOne of the dragons bites the goats’ head while the second prehistoric beast tears at its hind quartersThe exasperated goat could do little to escape the fearsome creatures after being ambushed and bitten multiple timesThe fearsome creatures have a history that dates back to the age of the dinosaurs. Small prey, such as goats, are often swallowed whole while larger creatures are eaten by tearing pieces of flesh from the body while they pin it down with their front legsThe goat is choked by the two dragons during the hunt. Soon after the goat was killed a third Komodo dragon joined in the feastThe three triumphant Komodo dragons raise their heads upwards after having fed on the poor unsuspecting goatTwo of the killer dragons wander back to their lairs after the meal which occurred on their native Komodo Island, in Indonesia
Video: Giant Komodo dragon receives target training using GoPro
