It is also a WWF Global 200 Marine Eco-region, a WWF/IUCN Centre of Plant Diversity, one of the world’s Endemic Bird Areas and an ASEAN Heritage Park.

The earliest stories (among Westerners) of a dragon-like animal existing in the region circulated widely and attracted considerable attention.

Hearing the reports, Lieutenant Steyn van Hensbroek, an official of the Dutch Colonial Administration in Flores, planned a trip to Komodo Island to continue the search.

[3] The island's present-day residents are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to Komodo and who have mixed with Bugis from Sulawesi.

In April 2019, Indonesian authorities announced a plan to close Komodo Island to tourism for a limited period to allow for conservation efforts amid concerns over animal-smuggling.

In September 2019, the park attracted further controversy when tourists complained that their guides were encouraging them to take selfies with Komodo dragons.

The Governor of Nusa Tenggara Timur province, Viktor Laiskodat, said that a budget of Rp 100 billion (around $US 7.2 million) would be provided to support the conservation program.

[5] The plan is controversial: Governor Laiskodat has suggested that an expensive entrance fee be charged to foreign tourists while local villagers who live on Komodo Island are worried about the possible loss of income.