Dragons— Oh My!

By Claire B., Age 11

A few summers ago, my whole family went to Indonesia for a month. During our visit we went to a small island called Komodo Island. There we saw about four giant Komodo Dragons and a large, messy Komodo nest full of very big eggs. The nest was made out of twigs, mud, and it was more than three times the size of my head. The monstrous Komodos were about 6 feet long. It was so mesmerizing. I excitedly took photos far behind a komodo (because we didn’t want it to eat our heads off). That was one of my favorite parts of the trip!

Like me, the author of “Dragons, Apes, Mantas, and Birds” went to Indonesia’s Komodo island with his family. There they traveled and found their way around the tropical islands. He and his family thought everything was beautiful and that every part should be conserved. Similarly, I thought the island was dazzling and needed to be conserved. When I went to the islands they were beautiful and it would be horrible if it got destroyed.

I decided to write about this New York Times article because of my family. When my mom was three she moved from Indonesia to the USA. My grandparents lived most of their lives there. I think it’s awesome that three generations of my family experienced this country’s nature.

In the article, the author says, “I like to believe that all the news of climate change, mass extinction … has jarred something in our collective conscience”. I agree with him. I feel that people need to become more aware of animals and their habitats, so that animals don’t get endangered.

I liked how this article made me realize that the animals I saw in Indonesia are more endangered than I thought. It made me think and consider more about conserving the island. I think that people need to observe from afar so they don’t harm the animals. It’s important to observe while prioritizing the animals comfort.

Category: New York Times Summer Reading Contest Entry