NAME: UK DRAGON 20070124Ix TAPE: EF07/0094 IN_TIME: 10:10:05 DURATION: 00:01:42 SOURCES: AP TELEVISION DATELINE: Chester, 24 Jan 2007 RESTRICTIONS: SHOTLIST: 1. Various exterior shots of Chester Zoo 2. Zoo worker picking up baby Komodo dragon 3. Various close-ups of baby dragon 4. Photographers taking photos of dragon 5. Pan down to Komodo dragon mother 'Flora' 6. Various of 'Flora' 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kevin Buley, Curator of reptiles at Chester Zoo: "They seem to be doing fantastically. Basically once the female has laid the eggs she has nothing more to do with it. So Flora behind me is completely oblivious to the fact that she is the centre of this attention, and completely oblivious to the fact that she is also now a mother and a father, if you want to look at it that way. But the babies, yes they are fine." 8. Different baby dragon being carried back to its cage 9. Mid of baby dragon playing inside cage STORYLINE: Scientists displayed five wriggling black and yellow Komodo dragons on Wednesday at an English zoo that were the product of a virgin birth, predicting the hatchlings offered hope for breeding the endangered species. Flora, the Komodo dragon, produced five hatchlings although a male had never been near her, proud staff at Chester Zoo, in Chester said. The shells began cracking last week, after an eight-month gestation period, which culminated with the arrival on Tuesday of the fifth dragon. Two more eggs remain to be hatched. About 70 reptile species including snakes and lizards can reproduce asexually in a process known as parthenogenesis. But while it had been known to happen in smaller reptiles, Flora's virginal conception, and that of another Komodo dragon at London Zoo, were the first documented in the giant species. The dragons are between 40 and 45 centimetres (16 inches to nearly 18 inches) long and weigh between 100 and 125 grams (3.5 and 4.4 ounces), according to Kevin Buley, a curator of reptiles at Chester Zoo. The hatchlings were in good health and enjoying a diet of crickets and locusts. When fully grown to 10 feet (3 metres) long and weighing about 300 pounds (140 kilogrammes), they will be capable of eating a whole pig or deer at one sitting, hooves and all. "They seem to be doing fantastically," said Buley. "Flora behind me is completely oblivious to the fact that she is the centre of this attention, and completely oblivious to the fact that she is also now a mother and a father, if you want to look at it that way" he added. Komodos are native to the arid volcanic Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia, and are named for the island where they were discovered in 1910. The giant lizards are considered endangered, with fewer than 4,000 surviving in the wild and facing encroachment from humans. Keyword-wacky animals

ARCHIVAL, CIRCA 1960 FILM STRIP ECOLOGY OF THE RAINFOREST, STRANGE ANIMAL CALLED PERIPATUS MS COULD PASS FOR MONSTER; Hands spinning globe. MS woman teacher spinning globe describing tropics. VAR tropical rain forest jungle; Sahara Desert - flat sandy desert empty except for strand of palm trees, oasis. VAR tropical island images, palms along beach; Aerial mtns. Heavy rain falling on tree tops. CU strange flower. Porcupine-like animal climbing tree. Crocodile's head in water; Map of World. Amazon Congo and Malaysian regions highlighted as having rainforests. VAR rainforest vegetaion, HS canopy; Moss covered tree trunk. Delicate flower. Sunlight on leaves. Delicate cup shaped mushrooms. Trees; Olympia National Park temperate zone rainforest, HS WS forest, park sign, INT forest fern covered forest floor; INT tropical rain forest, floor covered with dead leaves. Tilt-U trees branches, canopy. CU iguana type lizard; CU unusual tropical bird with comb. Monkey in tree, monkey leaping thru branches, looking at camera. Flowers on vine; Creepers vines roots reaching down to forest floor, lianas, CU. WS tall slender trees. Canopy, ferns & plants growing on branches; Epiphytes- bromeliads, lichens, mosses hanging from branches, ferns, delicate orchid. Bromeliad with subtitle; CU delicate leaves looks like sensitivity plant. Person walking thru misty rainforest towards camera. Heavy rainfall; Possibly Amazon Indian child looking after younger sibling. CU dead leaves & mud rainforest floor. Tree trunk with prop roots; Clutch of eggs in nest (not much of a nest) subtitle Tinamou. Leaf cutter ants Hideous CU ant cutting leaf, ant hill; Camouflaged caterpillar hanging from branch. Praying mantis. Ocelot. Monkey. CU Sloth. Sunset over rainforest. INT rain forest; Walking worm, CU w/subtitle Peripatus. Person picks up strange legless amphibian (subtitle) Caecilian, CU caecilian's face, creepy; FS plump immobile peripatus. Subtitle: Peccary, wild pig. Ocelot. Leopard. Puma in tree. Small spotted fox-like animal eating prey; Mounted GOliath beetle, tape measure appears next to dead giant beetle. Hand holding Hercules beetle which is holding piece of wood; CU beetle with rhino-like horn. FS beetle crawling on ground as tiny turtle hurries to get out of its way; FS monitor lizard Komodo dragon. MS anaconda boa constrictor on tree trunk, CU snake's head. Reticulated python hanging from branch; Rabbit, snake stalking rabbit, snake eating swallowing rabbit. That same porcupine-like animal walking along branch; Large animal like tapir in size and shape but more like a rodent, wading in shallow water. Man walks thru jungle; Woman standing beside globe concluding lecture

This reptile is a wild Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) lizard which is native to Southeast Asia. Often found in populated areas such as this coastal shore in Ko Lanta, Krabi province, Thailand.

A Komodo dragon walks along a beach. Available in HD. (Core Number: NBRD362P)

Varanus salvator on road in national park , injured , illness , tired

Asian water monitor lizard digging out turtle eggs and eating in slow motion in kaziranga national park

(Core Number: FKAD161A)

Asian water monitor lizard digging out turtle eggs and eating in slow motion in kaziranga national park

Varanus salvator, Animal, Animal Wildlife, Bangkok, Asia, Thailand

Asian water monitor lizard digging out turtle eggs and eating in slow motion in kaziranga national park

Dragons live in the lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia

This reptile is a wild Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) lizard which is native to Southeast Asia. Often found in populated areas such as this pebble beach in Ko Lanta, Krabi province, Thailand. This animal is growling and hissing.

Common Water Monitor is a large species of monitor lizard native to South and Southeast Asia and living in wetland.

Wide shot of a nile monitor lizard walking carrying a mud fish

Water monitor looking for food

Monitor lizard in the wilderness. Reptile hunting in natural habitat

Thailand, Bangkok, Lumpini park, Water Monitor lizard