Keen to see a komodo dragon? $500 please, says Indonesia

Tourists keen for a close-up look at komodo dragons in their natural habitat could be hit with an alarming bill, if one Indonesian politician gets his way. The governor of East Nusa Tenggara province -- home to the world’s biggest lizard -- has proposed charging visitors $500 to see the endangered species, about 50 times the current entrance fee for foreign tourists at Komodo National Park.

And if Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat prevails, the park would be off limits to all but “extraordinary” visitors with cash to burn. “(Komodo dragons) are very unique, but sadly they come cheap,” the governor said this week, during a speech to university administrators. “Only people with deep pockets are allowed to (see the komodo dragons).

Those who don’t have the money shouldn’t visit the park since it specifically caters to extraordinary people,” he added. The governor -- who also suggested recreational boats should be charged a $50,000 entrance fee -- said he would talk with the central government, which administers the national park. The provincial government and federal environment ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the proposed fee hike.