When people say “I could take that in a fight”, I don’t interpret it as “I’m capable of running away from that”. Yeah, komodo dragon aren’t just slaughtering humans all the time, because we are way more capable of avoiding and outsmarting them in general.

A long spear changes the game. Allegedly komodo dragon skulls are not very strong, so a polehammer in practiced hands would probably be most ideal.

I imagine that once trapped, they are fed to make them safer to interact with. Does a dead pig or goat count as a simple tool?