Giant lizard attack on humans | Bangkok Post: learning

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Giant lizard grabs leg of park official but help arrives before lizard can eat him. With bite wounds & over 40 stitches, both victim & rescuer in hospital.

A komodo dragon chews on a chicken at Jakarta Zoo in this file photo. The lizards have been known to attack humans (Photo: Bagus Indahono/EPA)

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Breakingnews

2 hospitalised by Komodo dragon

6 Feb 2013

Komodo dragons roam freely at Komodo National Park in Indonesia, the site of a recent attack on humans (Source: Wikipedia)

Two Komodo National Park employees are being treated in hospital after they were attacked and bitten by a Komodo dragon in Indonesia.

Forest police officer Ahmad Main was attacked by the two-metre long lizard as he sat alone in an office at the national park on Rinca Island in East Nusa Tenggara province.

The 50-year-old jumped on a chair to shout for help, but the lizard grabbed his leg, according to a report in the Jakarta Globe.

Usman Li, a 35-year-old park employee, heard Ahmad's screams and ran to his aid. He pulled the lizard off Mr Ahmad, receiving a bite to his left leg from the lizard in the process.

Several park officers then chased the lizard away.

Mr Ahmad, who was once bitten by a crocodile in 2009, received 41 stitches for wounds to his legs and Mr Usman received 42 stitches.

Sustyo Iryono, head of the national park, told Indonesian language site Suara Pembaran that Komodo dragons were sensitive to movement and sounds.

He said the park employees required intensive treatment and were taken to Sanglah Hospital in Bali.

Komodo dragons are the largest species of lizard and can be found on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Padar.

The lizards can grow up to three metres in length and weigh up to 150 kilogrammes.

Komodo dragons have a wide-ranging diet, including birds, goats, monkeys and water buffalo, and have been known to occasionally attack and eat humans.

(Source: Bangkok Post,  Breakingnews, 2 hospitalised by Komodo dragon, 6 Feb 2013, link) 

 
Lizard Vocabulary

Komodo dragon - the largest living species of lizard that is found in Indonesia, growing to a maximum length of 3 metres and weighing up to around 150 kilograms: "similar fossils have been found in Australia dating to greater than 3.8 million years ago, and its body size remained stable on Flores, one of the handful of Indonesian islands where it is currently found, over the last 900,000 years... As a result of their size, these lizards dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals. Their group behaviour in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world. The diet of big Komodo dragons mainly consists of deer... Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans... They take about eight to 9 years to mature, and are estimated to live up to 30 years.... Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits. In the wild, their range has contracted due to human activities, and they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. They are protected under Indonesian law, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was founded to aid protection efforts" (See Wikipedia)

Komodo National Park - a national park in Indonesia located that includes three large islands Komodo, Padar and Rinca, and 26 smaller islands "with a total area of 1,733 km² (603 km² of it land). The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard. Later it was dedicated to protecting other species, including marine species. In 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and later as Man and Biosphere Reserve. Komodo National Park has been selected as one of the New7Wonders of Nature"  (See Wikipedia)

lizard - small animals with long tails and rough skin that live mainly in hot places, a kind of reptile  สัตว์เลื้อยคลานพวกจิ้งจก, ตุ๊กแก, หรือ เหี้ย (See Wikipedia)

hospitalised - when a person who is injured or sick is put in the hospital for medical treatment
2 hospitalised by Komodo dragon

chew - using the teeth to bit food into small pieces so you can swallow and digest your food
chew on
chew on a chicken
A komodo dragon chews on a chicken at Jakarta Zoo

attack - โจมตี, บุก 
attack humans
The lizards have been known to attack humans

treat - take care of sick person, try to cure disease รักษา
being treated in hospital

bite (verb, present) - กัด
bitten (verb, past)

attacked and bitten by a Komodo dragon

Two Komodo National Park employees are being treated in a hospital after they were attacked and bitten by a Komodo dragon in Indonesia.

officer - a high level person in an organisation with special responsibilities (a government officer, a police officer, an army officer)
police officer
forest officer

national park - a large area in the forest or other natural area without a lot of people that the goverment protects by turning into a park (See Wikipedia)

he was attacked by the two-metre lizard as he sat alone in an office at the national park on Rinca Island in East Nusa Tenggara province.

shout - to say something in a loud voice ตะโกน, ร้องเรียก, ส่งเสียงดัง, 
shout for help

grab - to take hold of something quickly (in a rough way) 
the lizard grabbed his leg

The 50-year-old jumped on a chair to shout for help, but the lizard grabbed his leg

employee - someone who is paid regularly to work for a person or an organisation ลูกจ้าง
Usman Li, a 35-year-old park employee

scream - making a loud high cry because you are hurt, frightened or excited
heard Ahmad's screams

aid - help; assistance ช่วย ความช่วยเหลือ
he ran to his aid
he heard Ahmad's screams and ran to his aid.

pull - the move something towards you  ดึง
pull off - to move something off of something towards you
he pulled the lizard off his friend

process - a series of actions taken to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
in the process - the second thing happened while he was doing the first thing
He pulled the lizard off Mr Ahmad, receiving a bite to his left leg from the lizard in the process .

chase - to follow something or someone quickly (example: he chased the thief after he grabbed a woman's purse)
chase away - to run after someone (and threaten them) to make them run away from a place
chase the lizard away
Several park officers then chased the lizard away.

crocodile - a long reptile with a long body, long mouth and many sharp teeth that lives in the water in hot countries จระเข้ (See Wikipedia)

once - one time
once bitten - something bit him "one time" in the past

he was once bitten by a crocodile

wound - an injury in which your skin is damaged badly บาดแผล,  แผล
stitches - the sewing up of an open wound to make it better and heal more quickly

stitches for wounds
he received 41 stitches for wounds to his legs

sensitive - easily upset, influenced, changed or damaged, especially by a physical activity or effect รับอิทธิ-พลภายนอกได้ง่าย
sensitive to movement and sounds
Komodo dragons are sensitive to movement and sounds

intensive - involving a lot of effort, energy, or attention
treatment - the process of providing medical care การรักษา
intensive treatment

He said the park employees required intensive treatment and were taken to Sanglah Hospital in Bali.

species - a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other พันธ์,จำพวก
the largest species of lizard

Komodo dragons are the largest species of lizard and can be found on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Padar.

length - ความยาว
the lizards can grow up to three metres in length

weigh -มีน้ำหนัก, วัดน้ำหนัก
the lizard can weigh up to 150 kilogrammes

range - 1. a variety of different kind of things; 2. how far from some place something travels or goes ระยะ  
wide-ranging - 1. many different kinds of things ช่วง; 2. travels far away from home or place or origin 

diet - the food a human or animal eats
wide-ranging diet
the lizards have a wide-ranging diet

occasionally - sometimes, but not frequently or regularly บางครั้งบางคราว
occasionally attack and eat humans.
the lizards have been known to occasionally attack and eat humans

Komodo dragons have a wide-ranging diet, including birds, goats, monkeys and water buffalo, and have been known to occasionally attack and eat humans.

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