“Baby Smaug” shows off his wings
Is it possible that dragons are not only creatures of myth and fantasy, but are living amongst us today? Local scientists in Indonesia are asking themselves that very question!
Meet Agni, the most recent addition to the family of a newly discovered species hailing from the deep forests of Indonesia. Researchers gave him this name, meaning “fire” in Sanskrit, due to his brilliant red wing coloring. He currently feasts upon a diet of insects and will very soon begin to eat small rodents and birds. In fact, at his current growth rate, he is expected to triple his size within the next month.
Naturally, the first question on everyone’s mind seems to be “Can this ‘real-life dragon’ actually breathe fire?” The unfortunate answer is that there is no solid evidence at this time regarding Agni’s ability to breathe fire. However, it should be noted that the area of forestland where he was found contains an abnormally high number of “scorch plots” (or “portions of land, small or large, that have been scorched or burned”). Sound familiar to you? Perhaps the word “desolation” would be better used here.
Agni bearing a striking resemblance to Smaug from the side
Indonesia is no stranger to the claims of “real-life” fantasy or mythical happenings. You may recall that this is the same place anthropologists discovered the “Hobbit” bones! You can find out more about these “real-life Hobbits” here. Indonesia is also home to the Komodo Dragon and has one of the most diverse mythological backgrounds in the world.
Whether or not this story holds any truth, it is no doubt a fun and interesting concept to think about.
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