The community has voted and chosen the new Komodo Dragon names
|
TORONTO, ON, Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - The votes are in and the people have spoken! Thanks to more than 10,000 votes the two newest residents at your Toronto Zoo have names! Two weeks ago we welcomed two four-year-old Komodo Dragon siblings who needed names, and now we are proud to present:
Raya and Komo!
The name Raya, means great or greatness, and is derived from the Malay language and is also widely used in Indonesia. Raya has spent a lot of time in the last week scurrying around her habitat and has discovered a great vantage point up in a tree – a great way to keep an eye on guests and visitors while remaining hidden!
The male, Komo (short for Komodo) will remain in the Wildlife Health and Science Centre for the time being and will begin rotating into the habitat in the near future. Both Komodos are still getting used to their new spaces and remain quite shy around people. While they may not be viewable at all times as they learn to shift and out of their habitat, if you plan to visit, quiet voices will heighten your chances of seeing these colourful young individuals!
|
“It’s amazing to have the largest living lizard species on Earth here at your Toronto Zoo” says Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “We often talk about making memories that last a lifetime, and coming in to see this endangered species, learning more about them, and having the unique opportunity to meet a real-life dragon is another way we are helping create those memories for our community”.
Komodo dragons are listed as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 3,500 Komodo dragons remaining in the world. They face serious threats from habitat loss, climate change, and declining prey populations across their native range in Indonesia.
As part of our mission to fight extinction, your Toronto Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Komodo dragons, ensuring health, genetically diverse populations and supporting global conservation efforts.
|
|
|
We are excited to share that Raya is the newest addition to our Adopt An Animal program! Celebrate Raya’s arrival to the Zoo, and help to safeguard the future of species, like the Komodo dragon, for future generations. By adopting Raya, you will receive a personalized certificate of adoption, a Komodo dragon species fact booklet with poster, a charitable tax receipt, and more.
|
|
|
|
The Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals, conservation science and traditional knowledge to fight extinction and our vision is a world where people, wildlife and wild spaces thrive.
An iconic tourist attraction and Conservation organization, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping wildlife and their natural habitats – from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day including December 25 and attracts approximately 1.3 million guests each year.
Toronto Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo has also achieved the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice® and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA).
Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Ave, Toronto ON, M1B 5K7
View Toronto Zoo’s Privacy Statement
We acknowledge the land we are on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaty signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.
|
© 2025 Toronto Zoo All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
join ourMEDIA LIST
