Girl of six was born in the house of her parents, who are also reptile collectors
A snake and a lizard have brought two distinct species of dragon to Slovenia. The animals were born at the home of Carlo and Lucie Lewenza on 5 January last year. The two tiny dragons are not just unique. The totty also is a sister to Sophia, born to their 14-year-old daughter Kristina – sister of wild rockmoth dragon. The half-human-half-ape reptile has never lived in the wild, though, because the dragon, as they say, does not belong in the wild. It requires a special environment and the Lewenzas – who are both reptile collectors – are very serious about their zoo.
They are so serious about their zoo that they cannot even trust the people they live with with the babies. Until last year, they lived in the house the siblings of the two dragons have since moved to the Lewenzas’ sprawling wildlife park on the banks of Slovenia’s Wakkan lake in Pecora. Both girls of the family had died of bacterial meningitis after contracting the deadly infection, the family says. The current baby, Luna, is around eight inches long. “Luna is getting bigger. She is already big enough for a baby bottle,” said Carlo Lewenza.
Kristina Lewenza’s half-alien/half-human dragon Sophia. Photograph: Kristina Lewenza
One problem with the zoo, though, is that the other reptile will never be reintroduced to the wild. His mother killed and eaten Luna’s little sister. She had spent 12 days incubating an infection and suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably. Lucie Lewenza thinks his parents reacted by feeding him new foods. “It turns out she [the reptile] was sick and became aggressive,” she said. “She couldn’t accept the reality of the world.”
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This was perhaps not a big surprise. “The reptile community considers Luna’s parents monsters,” said Karl, a friend of the family. “They treat nature like there is a price to pay for her nourishment and stability.” Although the female dragon’s “territorialism” meant she could never be killed and eaten by other members of the species, the five other turtles and tortoises in the reptile park were killed and sold at a Slovenian reptile show in June, according to Karl.