She's named after the Mother of Dragons from Game of Thrones, and can smell her dinner from two miles away - meet London Zoo's newest resident.

Khaleesi the Komodo Dragon was driven the 200 miles from Paignton Zoo this month as part of the European Breeding Programme for the endangered species.

The 1.5 metre-long 10-year-old, affectionately named after character Daenerys Targaryen, is already settling in well at the Regent's Park attraction.

Ham & High: Komodo dragons are native to Indonesia and use their tongues to smell their preyKomodo dragons are native to Indonesia and use their tongues to smell their prey (Image: ZSL London)

Sadly, resident Komodo dragon Ganas, who had been at the Zoo since 2015, died in February after suffering degenerative arthritis.

Dragon Keeper Joe Capon said: "We’re really pleased with how well Khaleesi is settling in at the Attenborough Komodo Dragon House; a temperature-controlled biome designed to recreate the hot, rocky Indonesian islands where the species are found in the wild.

"Khaleesi is an alert, curious lizard, and has been busy exploring since her arrival – in particular digging some pretty impressive burrows on the sandy shoreline."

Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) have walked the earth for millions of years and are the largest and heaviest lizards in the world, weighing up to 136kg and measuring up to 2.5 metres long.

Ham & High: The lizards are able to eat 80 per cent of their body weight in one meal swallowing their dinner in secondsThe lizards are able to eat 80 per cent of their body weight in one meal swallowing their dinner in seconds (Image: ZSL London)

Their 60 serrated, shark-like teeth help them to eat up to 80 per cent of their body weight in one feed, with their super-strong jaw and throat muscles allowing them to swallow huge chunks of meat in seconds.

Joe added: "Mythical dragons may be able to fly, but these stealthy reptiles have their own super-power: scent. Using their long, fork-like tongues, Komodo dragons like Khaleesi sample the air, before rubbing their tongue across the scent-detecting ‘vomeronasal’ organ on the roof of their mouth – which means they can detect potential lunch from up to 2.5 miles away."

Named after the Indonesian island of Komodo, the dragons are sadly on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. The lizards, which have the rare ability to reproduce without a partner (a process called parthenogenesis), face threats from climate change and habitat loss with the total population in the wild estimated in 2021 to be no more than 1,400.

Conservationists from ZSL, the international conservation charity behind London Zoo, are working to protect the dragon’s native habitat, advising companies in the palm oil industry on how to safely manage wildlife as they operate.

Visitors can see Khaleesi, alongside 15,000 animals at historic London Zoo this May half-term. Book tickets at https://www.londonzoo.org/