The St. Louis Zoo has built a new home for its latest resident — its first Komodo dragon in 12 years.

Charlie hatched in the Denver Zoo in 2018 before being adopted by the Bronx Zoo, where he lived until now. The St. Louis Zoo adopted him in September and named him after former St. Louis Zoo Director Charles H. Hoessle.

Visitors can get a sneak peak of Charlie’s habitat on Oct. 16 during the zoo’s Halloween festivities. The general public will get to see him during regular zoo hours starting Oct. 20.

It was an easy decision to adopt a Komodo dragon due to their popularity with kids and families, said Justin Elden, the St. Louis Zoo Herpetology and Aquatics curator.

“We knew we wanted to do something really, really special,” Elden said. “When it comes to big, charismatic species that ge

See Full Page