Endangered Komodo dragons hatch at Chester Zoo

Two endangered Komodo dragons have been born at a zoo, joining a "vitally important" international conservation breeding programme.

The hatchlings are the world's largest lizard species and will grow to more than 3m (9.8ft) long.

It was the first time Chester Zoo successfully bred hatchlings from a pair of mating dragons.

The reptiles are found on a handful of small islands in Indonesia, where experts say just 3,000 remain.

The hatchlings arrived to mum Mezcal and dad Satali weighing about 74g and measuring 40cm.

Matt Cook, lead keeper of reptiles, said the "fascinating creatures" have survived for tens of thousands of years, but added "populations in the wild have been pushed to the edge of existence in the last 50 years" due to increased human activity, habitat loss and a rapidly changing climate.

He added: "We have been eagerly awaiting this moment after we successfully introduced female dragon Mezcal with male Satali and they seemed to hit it off straight away.

"A month later we found a clutch of eggs that had been laid and we carefully placed them in a special incubator where they have been monitored closely for several months."

He said the two youngsters were "thriving and will join a vitally important conservation breeding programme".

The Komodo dragon is the largest of the world's 7,555 lizard species, with ancestors that date back more than 100 million years, the zoo said.

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