In a frightening incident, a 45-year-old woman named Farida was found dead inside the belly of a reticulated python in central Indonesia. The event occurred in Kalempang village, South Sulawesi province, marking at least the fifth time a person has been devoured by a python in Indonesia since 2017.
Farida, a mother of four, went missing on Thursday night, June 6, 2024, after she failed to return home from selling chilies. Her husband discovered her belongings, which led to suspicions and initiated a search by local villagers. They found a 16-foot-long python with a noticeably swollen belly the following day. Upon cutting open the snake, they were shocked to find Farida’s body inside, still fully clothed.
Village head Suardi Rosi expressed the community’s shock and grief over the incident. “It turned out that the woman we were looking for was in the snake’s stomach,” he said, describing the moment Farida’s body was discovered.
Reticulated pythons, the longest snakes in the world, are native to Southeast Asia and can grow up to 30 feet long. They typically prey on large mammals but have occasionally been known to attack humans. These snakes kill by constriction, squeezing their prey to death before swallowing it whole.
The incident has drawn significant attention, not only for its gruesome nature but also due to the increasing number of similar occurrences in recent years. In 2018, a 54-year-old woman named Wa Tiba was found inside a 23-foot-long python in Southeast Sulawesi’s Muna town.
The victim disappeared while tending to her vegetable garden. Local residents organized an extensive search. The next day, they discovered her sandals and machete, and approximately 30 meters away, they found a giant python with a distended stomach. Suspicious that the snake had swallowed Tiba, locals killed the snake and removed it from the garden, explained local police chief Hamka.
“When they cut open the snake’s belly, they found the victim’s body inside.”
Disturbing footage circulated on social media in Indonesia, showing the woman’s body being recovered intact in front of a large crowd.
Another notable case from 2017 involved a farmer in West Sulawesi who was also swallowed by a python.
Villagers discovered the body of 25-year-old Akbar Salubiro after cutting open a 23-foot-long reticulated python, according to The Jakarta Post. Salubiro was reported missing after he didn’t return from harvesting palm oil the previous day, a police spokesperson in West Sulawesi province informed BBC Indonesian. During their search, the villagers came across a python and suspected it had swallowed Salubiro.
“They couldn’t find Akbar, but they noticed a motionless python in the ditch,” said Mashura, who uses only his first name, to BBC Indonesia. “They suspected the snake had eaten Akbar. When they cut it open, they found Akbar inside.”
Experts believe that deforestation and habitat loss may be contributing factors to these attacks, as human settlements encroach upon the natural habitats of these reptiles. Despite its fearsome reputation, the reticulated python typically avoids humans unless provoked or if it feels threatened.
Farida’s death has prompted local authorities to issue warnings and take measures to prevent future attacks.
