Komodo dragon leaving Shedd Aquarium

After more than two years, Faust the Komodo dragon will be leaving Chicago.

The popular lizard has been on loan from the Fort Worth Zoo to the Shedd Aquarium since April 2006. His original 11-month stay was extended because he proved so popular as the centerpiece of the aquarium's "Lizards and the Komodo King" exhibit.

The 8-foot 3-inch long, 178-pound lizard leaves after Labor Day. Since he arrived in Chicago, Faust has gained 50 pounds and 5 inches. He was born in 1993 at the San Diego Zoo. Faust spent most of his time in Chicago lazing on an artificial boulder.

Fewer than 6,000 Komodo dragons are believed to exist in the wild on Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Islands, and 76 to 78 others live in U.S. zoos as part of a captive breeding program.