Zoo births boost for endangered Komodo dragon

Twenty-two Komodo dragons hatched at a US zoo this month, a small but encouraging boost to the endangered species' population.

The Los Angeles Zoo's adult female Komodo laid the eggs in January. Media were invited this week to see the hatchlings.

Komodos, the world's largest lizards, are cannibalistic and usually eat their young and eggs of their own species, so zoo officials say staying alive is tricky for a hatchling.

Los Angeles is one of the few North America zoos to have successfully bred Komodos.

The curator said 11 babies will eventually go to the Columbus Zoo, with the others going to zoos assigned by the Species Survival Programme.

The hatchlings will grow to about nine feet and weigh 200lb or more.

The lizards are native to Indonesia.