In a "vitally important" international conservation breeding program, two endangered Komodo dragons have been born at a zoo.
Largest lizard species in the world, the hatchlings will eventually reach lengths of more than 3 meters (9.8 feet).
It was the first time a pair of mating dragons at Chester Zoo successfully produced hatchlings.
Only 3,000 of the reptiles, according to experts, are still present on a small number of Indonesian islands.
Mother Mezcal and father Satali received the 40cm, 74g hatchlings when they first arrived.
The "fascinating creatures" have endured for tens of thousands of years, but Matt Cook, the head reptile keeper, added that "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.
"We have been eagerly anticipating this moment ever since we successfully introduced female dragon Mezcal to male Satali and they seemed to click right away," he continued.
"We discovered a clutch of eggs that had been laid a month later, and we carefully placed them in a unique incubator where they have been carefully watched for several months. ".
The two children, according to him, are "thriving and will join a vitally important conservation breeding program.".
The largest of the 7,555 lizard species in the world, the Komodo dragon has ancestors that date back more than 100 million years, according to the zoo.
