Note: Video courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo.

ST. LOUIS - The Saint Louis Zoo is welcoming a new resident.

Charlie, a Komodo dragon, came to the zoo Sept. 20 from the Bronx Zoo in New York through the Komodo Dragon Species Survival Plan to "ensure a healthy and genetically diverse population of Komodo dragons in the U.S."

The six-year-old reptile is the first one to live in the newly renovated Charles H. Hoessle Herpetarium, who Charlie is named after. This marks the first Komodo dragon in St. Louis in over 12 years.

The herpetarium was transformed to suit Charlie's needs, which includes a UV-transmissible ceiling, allowing light in year-round, basking spots with automatic warming elements, and a dry, forest climate habitat.

As Charlie is still acclimating to the new environment, he wi

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