Indonesia says scrapping plans to close Komodo island

FILE PHOTO: A foreign tourist takes a picture on top of Kelor Island at the Komodo National Park, Indonesia, August 23, 2016. REUTERS/Beawiharta

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has decided it does not need to close the eastern island of Komodo next year as planned because its population of rare Komodo dragons is relatively stable and not under threat, the environment minister said on Monday.

East Nusa Tenggara Governor Viktor B. Laiskodat said in July that the island needed to be closed to the public to stop tourism from interfering in the dragon's mating and hatching processes and to cut the risk of poaching of the reptiles’ prey, including deer, buffalo and wild boar.