KOMODO EATS FLAMINGO (09/12/1995)
A KOMODO (KUH-MOH'-DOH) DRAGON AT THE MINNESOTA ZOO HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A FINICKY EATER. THE RECENTLY ACQUIRED LIZARD, NAMED MAUREEN, HAD BEEN TURNING UP HER NOSE AT THE USUAL ZOO FARE OF WHITE RATS. BUT WHEN A FLAMINGO FLEW INTO THE NEW DRAGON EXHIBIT OVER THE WEEKEND, MAUREEN FOUND THE PINK BIRD MORE TO HER LIKING. ONE LEG AND SOME PINK FEATHERS WERE ALL THAT WAS LEFT. THE FLAMINGOS HAVE THEIR FEATHERS CLIPPED TO PREVENT THEM FROM FLYING, BUT THE FEATHERS GROW OUT OVER TIME. STILL, ZOOKEEPERS SAY THE FLAMINGOS HAVE NEVER BECOME DINNER BEFORE. NOW, THEY SAY THEY'LL BE CHECKING THE FLAMINGOS' FEATHERS MORE OFTEN TO SEE IF THEY NEED CLIPPING. KOMODO DRAGONS CAN EAT 50 POUNDS OF FOOD AT ONE MEAL.