The boy was mauled when he went to defecate behind a bush on Saturday on Komodo Island, said Mr Heru Rudiharto, a national park spokesman.

'The Komodo bit him on his waist and tossed him viciously from side to side,' Mr Heru said.

'A fishermen, who just happened to be the boy's uncle, threw rocks at the lizard until it let the boy go and fled.

'The boy died from massive bleeding half an hour later.'

Wardens on Komodo have launched a hunt for the dragon, he said.

Komodos, the world's largest lizards, are only found in the wild in a small archipelago in eastern Indonesia. Fewer than 4,000 survive.

Mr Heru said the lizards had been living side-by-side with the 1,200 people on Komodo with no fatal incident for 33 years.

'Perhaps the lizards' natural prey has decreased because we are entering the dry season, and there has been too much deer hunting,' he said.

Komodos can grow to a length of 3m and weigh up to 166kg.

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