SINGAPORE, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- A rare Komodo dragon has been born at the Singapore Zoo after 34 years of trying to breed the world's largest living lizard, officials said.
The baby was born after more than year of courtship between Bima, the father, and Yoko, the mother. Female komodo dragons have been known to be hostile during preliminary phases of courtship, said Biswajit Guha, the zoo's assistant director.
The baby, which has yet to be named, hatched Nov. 15 and posed in a keeper's hands for photos last week.
"It's as precious as the Mona Lisa for us," Guha told The Straits Times.
Komodo dragons, an endangered species native to remote Indonesian islands, are descended from dinosaurs and have a life span of 20 to 30 years.
Komodo dragons are considered such national treasures in Indonesia that they can only be given away by the country's president.
