Living with Komodo Dragons: Wildlife and Tourism in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.25.2.2026.4272

Keywords:

Komodo dragon, wildlife tourism, human-animal relations, tourism development, community resistance, Labuan Bajo Indonesia

Abstract

Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and habitat for the endangered Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), is simultaneously a symbol of global biodiversity conservation and a leading tourist destination in the Labuan Bajo area of Indonesia. This dual role creates tensions between ecological protection and economic interests. Tourism provides a significant source of funding for conservation and regional development, but it also has the potential to transform wildlife and landscapes into tourist commodities that threaten the dry tropics ecology and local human-animal relations. This research focuses on the intersection between conservation, tourism, commodification, local communities, and development. The study shows that local beliefs regarding Komodo dragons as animal relatives plays a crucial role as a cultural conservation mechanism that complements state regulations. However, tourism development has driven the commodification of wildlife, turning Komodo dragons into a tourist attraction and Labuan Bajo into a tourism hub. The resulting economic, cultural, and ecological risks have been met by local community resistance.

Author Biographies

Rahmat Saehu, Research Center for Society and Culture, BRIN, Indonesia

Rahmat Saehu is a researcher at the Research Centre for Society and Culture, Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). His research focuses on socio-cultural, socio-religious, and more-than-human issues. He obtained a bachelor of education in sociology from Universitas Negeri Jakarta and a master's degree in sociology from Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia. Email: rahm055@brin.go.id

Uus Faizal Firdaussy, Research Center for Society and Culture, BRIN, Indonesia

Uus Faizal Firdaussy completed his Master of Communication degree at the Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia in 2017. His studies in communications marked his introduction to the social sciences. After working for more than 15 years in public relations at the Biotechnology Research Centre of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), he is now a researcher at the Research Centre for Society and Culture, BRIN. His research interests encompass science communication, cultural studies, and indigenous knowledge systems. Email: uusf001@brin.go.id

Yusuf Maulana , Research Center for Politics, BRIN, Indonesia

Yusuf Maulana is a researcher at the Research Center for Politics, Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). He obtained a bachelor of science in public administration from Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia (2013) and now continuing education in master of public policy and administration sciences at Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia. His research interests include public administration, regional autonomy, and bureaucracy. Over the past two years, he has been engaged in research on decentralisation, territorial and border issues in Indonesia. Email: yusu015@brin.go.id

Rahmat Saleh , Research Center for Population, BRIN, Indonesia

Rahmat Saleh is a researcher at the Research Center for Population, Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). He holds bachelor’s degree (2012) and master’s degree (2023) in Sociology from Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia. His research interests include sociology of development, organizational sociology, community empowerment, and social demography. His latest collaborative research projects are “Safeguarding the Future: Assessing Risks and Perceptions in Hydrogen Transport for IKN’s 2045 Zero-Emission Goal” and “Political Economy Analysis of Mining and High Conservation Value in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan Province”. Email: rahm033@brin.go.id

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Published

2026-04-11

How to Cite

Saehu, R., Firdaussy, U. F., Maulana , Y., & Saleh , R. (2026). Living with Komodo Dragons: Wildlife and Tourism in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. ETropic: Electronic Journal of Studies in the Tropics, 25(2), 40–64. https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.25.2.2026.4272

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Vol. 25 No. 2 (2026): Tourisms’ Tristes Tropiques: Cultural Landscapes

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Articles

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