Wrong patron saint for ecology

I could not believe my eyes when I read Fr Geoffrey George Attard's letter suggesting the promotion of St George as patron saint of ecology (May 16). Has Fr Attard forgotten that St George was the slayer and destroyer of a dragon? How can we now confide in his care the Dragons of Komodo and Rinca islands?

For those who are not accustomed to the study of the reptilian class of animals, I would like to say that the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is a huge monitor lizard up to 10 feet long, weighs up to 300 lbs and can live 100 years! These dragons live on the Indonesian volcanic islands of Komodo and Rinca, in the Malay Archipelago, and there are about 1000 of them on each island, surely not too many when compared to other reptiles such as turtles, terrapins and tortoises, Monito lizards, gila monsters of the USA, and beaded lizards (both venomous), worm lizards, geckoes, skinks, chameleons, marine iguanas of the Galapagos, thousands of fearsome snakes, vipers, boas and cobras, and the terrible crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gavials. The only exception may be members of the two species of lizard-like tuatara, those living fossils inhabiting a few islands off New Zealand.

Fr Geoffrey George should think of some other saint more suitable for the nomination as patron saint of ecology, the environment and the reptilian world.