The Wae Wuul Reserve in the west of Flores and the Wolo Tado Reserve in the north of the island have also been established. Komodo dragons are under strict protection in Indonesia. The Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, in the case of Komodo dragons, states that any trade in live specimens or their body parts (such as skins) is prohibited without special permits.
Captive breeding can also serve to protect the species. The first Komodo dragon's offspring placed in human care outside of Indonesia took place in 1992 at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park (located north of Washington, D.C., and is one of the oldest zoos in the United States).
In 2004, a zoo in Gran Canaria succeeded in breeding the first European offspring of a Komodo dragon.
