In a shocking incident, a 45-year-old woman named Farida was discovered dead in the stomach of a reticulated python in central Indonesia. The incident marked the fifth such occurrence in Indonesia since 2017 and took place in the village of Kalempang, in South Sulawesi province.
Farida, a mother of four, went missing on the night of June 6, 2024 after she didn’t return home from her chili-selling errands. Her husband found her belongings, which raised suspicions, and started a community search. The following day, villagers found a 16-foot-long python with an unusually large belly. Astonishingly, upon opening the python, they found Farida’s fully clothed body inside.
Village head Suardi Rosi conveyed the community’s shock and sorrow over the incident. “It turned out that the woman we were looking for was in the snake’s stomach,” he said, recounting the moment Farida’s body was discovered.
Reticulated pythons, the world’s longest snakes, are indigenous to Southeast Asia and can grow up to nearly 30 feet long. These snakes usually feed on large mammals but have been known to attack humans. They kill their prey through constriction, suffocating it before swallowing it whole.
This incident has drawn considerable attention due to its horrific nature and the increasing frequency of similar incidents in recent years. In 2018, another woman, Wa Tiba, aged 54, was found inside a 23-foot-long python in Muna town, Southeast Sulawesi.
Tiba vanished while working in her vegetable garden. The community organized an extensive search and discovered her sandals and a machete the next day. Not far from the spot, they found a large python with an expanded belly. Suspecting the snake had swallowed Tiba, the locals killed it and removed it from the garden, local police chief Hamka explained.
“When they cut open the snake’s belly, they found the victim’s body inside.”
Video footage of the grim recovery of the woman’s body was widely shared on social media in Indonesia, drawing a large crowd.
In 2017, a similar case involved a farmer in West Sulawesi who was also swallowed by a python.
According to The Jakarta Post, villagers found the body of 25-year-old Akbar Salubiro inside a 23-foot-long reticulated python. Salubiro was reported missing after he failed to return from harvesting palm oil the day before, a police spokesperson in West Sulawesi province told BBC Indonesian. During their search, 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. “They suspected the snake had eaten Akbar. When they cut it open, they found Akbar inside.”
Specialists suggest that habitat destruction and loss may be factors in these attacks, as human settlements infringe on the natural habitats of these reptiles. Although reticulated pythons have a notorious reputation, they usually avoid humans unless they feel threatened or provoked.
In the aftermath of Farida’s death, local authorities have issued warnings and are taking steps to prevent future attacks.
