In a disturbing event, a woman from central Indonesia was found dead inside a reticulated python. The 45-year-old woman, Farida, was from Kalempang village, South Sulawesi province. This marks the fifth incident of a person being consumed by a python in Indonesia since 2017.
On the night of June 6, 2024, Farida, a mother of four, didn’t return home after selling chilies. Her husband found her belongings, sparking a search by local villagers. The following day, they discovered a 16-foot-long python with an unusually swollen belly. Cutting open the snake revealed Farida’s fully clothed body inside.
Community leader Suardi Rosi conveyed the villagers’ shock and sorrow. “It turned out that the woman we were looking for was in the snake’s stomach,” he said, recounting the moment when Farida’s body was found.
Reticulated pythons, the world’s longest snakes, are indigenous to Southeast Asia and can reach lengths of up to 30 feet. While they typically prey on large mammals, there have been instances where they attacked humans. These snakes kill by constriction, suffocating their prey before consuming it whole.
The incident has shed light on a growing trend 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 Muna town, Southeast Sulawesi.
Tiba was reported missing while working in her vegetable garden. Locals organized a comprehensive search and found her sandals and machete the next day. Approximately 100 feet away, they came across a giant python with a distended stomach. Local police chief Hamka explained that the villagers killed the snake and removed it from the garden, suspecting it had swallowed Tiba. “When they cut open the snake’s belly, they found the victim’s body inside.”
Distressing footage was shared on Indonesian social media, showing Tiba’s body being retrieved intact in front of a large gathering.
In 2017, a 25-year-old farmer in West Sulawesi also fell victim to a python. According to The Jakarta Post, villagers found the body of Akbar Salubiro inside a 23-foot-long reticulated python. After Salubiro didn’t return from harvesting palm oil, a search started. The villagers found 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. “When they cut it open, they found Akbar inside.”
Experts suggest that deforestation and habitat loss may be contributing to these attacks as human developments encroach on the natural habitats of these reptiles. Despite its formidable reputation, the reticulated python typically avoids humans unless it feels threatened or provoked.
In light of Farida’s death, local authorities have issued warnings and are implementing preventive measures to avoid future attacks.
