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Nashville Zoo welcomes new Komodo Dragons after first-ever successful hatching

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Two baby reptiles just made their debut at the Nashville Zoo. Their birth marks the Zoo's first-ever successful hatching of the species.

Komodo dragons were born at the end of last month. The Zoo reports they weigh about the same as a stick of butter and are doing great.

The pair won't be that little for long, Komodo dragons are known for being the largest, and heaviest, lizard on earth reaching up to ten feet long and can weigh more than 300 pounds.

It's been ten years since the first Komodo Dragon arrived in Nashville. These two guys to the total of now seven at the Zoo.

It's a big deal to have a successful hatching of this species because they're endangered.

The Zoo partners with the Komodo Survival Program to help protect them and contribute to increasing the population. They also help overseas with conservation work, like purchasing a new boat to transport researchers and carriers to move traps between monitoring locations.

Middle Tennessee schools score 2024 National Blue Ribbon for academic excellence

There are a lot of great schools in our area. Congratulations to four schools in the mid-state that were awarded National Blue Ribbons for Academic Execellence. The were among six in Tennessee to receive that honor. They were among 356 schools across the United States to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education!

-Lelan Statom