https://jurnal.ugm.ac.id/jurnal-humaniora HUMANIORA Vol. 31, No. 2 (June 2019) Komodo Dragon Attacks: The Changing of Human and Environment Relations Dian Lintang Sudibyo Department of Anthropology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia Email: d.lintang.sudibyo@gmail.com ABSTRACT This paper discusses the issue of Komodo Dragon attacks on humans from an anthropological perspective. Wild animal attacks are often regarded as a result of human-wildlife ecological confict. Humans, in their pursuit of economic expansion, often sacrifce the habitat of fauna, resulting in disturbances to food chain stability in the local ecosystem. It has been said that due to the increased difculty of fnding prey as a result, predators turn to humans instead, which is not part of the natural food chain. However, this research (based on observations on Rinca Island, Komodo National Park in 2013) fnds that this explanation is not always correct. In the case of Komodo National Park, a conservation area primarily established to secure the availability of Komodo Dragon prey, the fact that there are still cases of dragons attacking humans throws weight against the idea that dragons are merely supplementing their natural diet. Rather, this paper argues that these attacks come as a result of the creation of spaces that changes the human relationship with the natural environment. Keywords: conservation; human-environment relation changes; Komodo Dragon; dragon attacks; ecosystem change INTRODUCTION In early 2017, a Singaporean tourist was attacked by Komodo Dragons (Varanus Komodoensis) (Komodos) while photographing the Dragons eating goat carcasses on Komodo Island, Komodo National Park (KNP) 1) . This was not an isolated incident of wildlife attacking humans in Indonesia, with reports of man-eating pythons in West Sulawesi just a few months earlier. Indonesia Vice online media entitled this phenomenon: “Insiden Pria Dimangsa Piton, Puncak Gunung Es Perebutan Lahan Manusia dan Hewan di Indonesia” 2) . This statement refects how wild animal attacks are typically described in the domain of ecological confict between animals and humans; implying that wildlife and humans are separated by ‘natural’ and ‘social’ boundaries. This supports the assumption that human intervention in the ecosystem acts to break down the food chain, which causes predators losing their food sources to perceive humans as prey. However, this assumption fails to consider why then attacks in protected areas continue. This study focusses on this shortcoming in previous research, aiming to provide an alternative explanation for why attacks occur, using the case the protected area of KNP. Many attacks have occurred in KNP, an area where Komodos are protected. KNP territory includes territorial water and lands (three larger islands Komodo, Padar, Rinca and several small islands), which located between Sumbawa Island and Flores Island. With the application of strict rules by conservationists to human intervention in the area in order to maintain the natural food chain system, the question remains: why do dragon attacks still occur in the area? This paper provides an alternative perspective to understand this phenomenon. A national park is a space established ofcially through regulations to ensure ecosystem sustainability. https://doi.org/10.22146/jh.v31i2.35921 page 142—151