ONE of the world’s great wildlife regions, the small archipelago of Komodo and Rinca nestled between Sumbawa and Flores in Indonesia’s southeastern islands was made a national park (www.komodonationalpark.org) in 1980. These and several other barren islands draw thousands of travelers from all over the world intent on viewing the magnificent Komodo dragon (ora) in its natural habitat.

The sole survivor of carnivorous dinosaurs that thrived