A 57-year-old grandmother met a horrifying end on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, when she encountered a massive python while working on a rubber plantation in Indonesia. The incident, in the Muaro Jambi province on the island of Sumatra, has left the local community shaken and highlights the dangers posed by these powerful constrictors.
Hapsah, the victim, was tapping rubber trees on August 27 when a 16-foot reticulated python attacked her. The snake, known for its immense strength, quickly overpowered Hapsah despite her attempts to fight it off. As the python coiled around her body, it slowly squeezed the air from her lungs, causing her to lose consciousness.
M Safri, Hapsah’s 66-year-old husband also working on the plantation that day, became concerned when his wife didn’t return home in the afternoon. He began searching for her, only to make a gruesome discovery. Safri found the python still wrapped around Hapsah’s neck, attempting to swallow her head-first.
According to Sungai Gelam Police Chief Iptu Usaha Sitepu, M Safri attempted to save his wife from being consumed by the python. He desperately tugged on the snake’s tail and repeatedly struck it until the reptile finally released its hold.
Unfortunately, Safri’s efforts came too late. Hapsah had already died from the python’s deadly embrace by the time her husband reached her. The traumatized widower, with the help of local villagers, brought Hapsah’s body back to their village to prepare for her funeral.
News of the attack spread quickly through the community, igniting a wave of anger and fear. A group of enraged locals formed a mob, hunting down the python responsible for Hapsah’s death. They found the snake attempting to burrow near a tree’s roots and beat it to death.
Village head Amdi emphasized the python’s extraordinary dimensions. He reported that after the snake was killed, it was transported to the village for public display, allowing the community to witness its enormous size.
This tragic event is not an isolated incident in Indonesia. Just days before Hapsah’s death, another elderly woman fell victim to a python attack in a different part of the country. Maga, a 74-year-old grandmother from Palopo City, was killed by a python while grazing her cows in the forested Sumarambu mountains. In a gruesome turn of events, Maga’s son discovered only half of his mother’s body remained after the snake had partially swallowed her.
The reticulated python, native to Southeast Asia, is the world’s longest snake and the third heaviest serpent. These impressive constrictors can grow to lengths exceeding 20 feet and are known for their powerful bodies capable of subduing large prey. While attacks on humans are relatively rare, they do occur, particularly in areas where human settlements encroach on the pythons’ natural habitat.
These snakes are adaptable predators, often lurking in forests, swamps, and canals. In some cases, they have even been known to venture into urban areas, posing a threat to pets and, occasionally, humans. Their diet typically consists of smaller animals such as rats, birds, and other snakes, but larger specimens can take down bigger prey, including deer and crocodiles.