It is endemically found on the islands: of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Gili Dasami, where about 6000 individuals live.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) placed the Komodo dragon on the Red List of Threatened Species in 2019 as a species at risk of extinction. The main risks they currently face are the fragmentation or loss of their habitat, and a drastic drop in the population of their main food source–Javan rusa, wild boars, and water buffalos. They also suffer from poaching, fires, and deforestation.
