This is the “awe-inspiring” moment zookeepers put two Komodo dragons together and watch as they promptly mate and then become extremely “affectionate” towards each other, in what is believed to be a first in Australia.

The video was filmed at the Australian Reptile Park in the town of Somersby in the Australian state of New South Wales, and features Komodo dragons Kraken and Daenerys.

In the footage, the Reptile Park explains that keepers are about to embark on the potentially “deadly” task of trying to pair two Komodo dragons for breeding, adding: “Successful pairing will be an Australian first and a massive win for the endangered species.”

A spokesperson says: “Komodo dragons are the largest living lizard species, they are virtually modern-day dinosaurs.

“A bite from a Komodo dragon is one of the worst bites on the planet. Komodo dragons in captivity have been known to cause each other severely bad wounds, particularly when pairing happens at the wrong time.

“Today is the day, we think, that introducing our Komodos together, we’re going to see successful mating.

“When we pair the lizards, what we don’t want to see is defensive behaviour, and that’s where one Komodo might try to bite the other.”

The keeper explains that they have to risk being attacked to separate the pair up if they are aggressive towards each other.

Staff members then put the two Komodos together when they feel the male is ready and are pleased to note that the female is being “fully receptive” to her partner as they observe them.

The keeper watches the pair from over a fence and says “oh my God it’s happening.”

He then explains: “The female is quite receptive to Kraken, and he is actually using his back legs to scratch at her tail, to stimulate her to lift her tail, so they can begin to copulate.”

He adds: “It’s finally happened, we’ve got mating Komodo dragons.”

The keeper said they expect to see the same “breeding behaviour” over the coming days, adding that “copulation between Komodo dragons” is one of the “coolest things I’ve ever seen”.

He also said that the mating process “could be an Australian first, no one has successfully bred Komodo dragons in this part of the world. What we hope to see is her digging out a nest chamber and depositing the eggs that she may be carrying”.

“This is truly awe inspiring, I love these Komodos with all of my heart.

“It is so lovely to see how affectionate they are being towards each other.”

The park added that they hope to soon see Komodo dragon hatchlings.

According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Komodo dragons (Varanus Komodoensis) are considered ‘vulnerable’.