A tragic incident unfolded on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, when a 57-year-old grandmother, working on a rubber plantation in Indonesia, was killed by a large python. This occurred in the Muaro Jambi province on Sumatra island, leaving the local community in shock and underlining the threat posed by these formidable constrictors.
The deceased, identified as Hapsah, was in the process of tapping rubber trees when she was attacked by a 16-foot-long reticulated python. Despite her efforts to fend off the snake, its immense power swiftly overcame her. The python coiled around her body, gradually compressing her chest and causing her to lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen.
M Safri, Hapsah’s 66-year-old husband, who was also employed at the plantation, became worried when his wife failed to return home that afternoon. His search led him to a horrifying scene where he found the python still coiled around Hapsah’s neck, trying to consume her headfirst.
Sungai Gelam Police Chief Iptu Usaha Sitepu stated that M Safri tried to rescue his wife. He pulled at the snake’s tail and struck it until it finally loosened its grip. However, his intervention was too late.
By the time Safri reached his wife, she had already succumbed to the python’s lethal hold. Assisted by fellow villagers, the grief-stricken husband transported Hapsah’s body back to their village for burial preparations.
The news of the brutal attack spread rapidly through the community, sparking a mixture of fear and outrage. In retaliation, a group of locals hunted down and killed the python responsible for Hapsah’s death. The snake was found digging near a tree root and was bludgeoned to death.
Highlighting the size of the python, the village head, Amdi, reported that the dead snake was transported back to the village for public viewing, so that the community could gauge its massive size.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case in Indonesia. Just days before Hapsah’s death, another elderly woman was killed by a python in a different region. Maga, a 74-year-old grandmother from Palopo City, was attacked while tending to her cows in the Sumarambu mountains. In a disturbing twist, only half of Maga’s body was found by her son after the snake had partially ingested her.
The reticulated python, indigenous to Southeast Asia, is the longest snake species in the world and ranks third in weight. These impressive constrictors can grow longer than 20 feet and are known for their strong bodies that can overpower large prey. While human attacks are relatively uncommon, they happen, especially in areas where human habitation intrudes upon the python’s natural environment.
These snakes are versatile predators, often seen in forests, marshlands, and water channels. In some instances, they have even infiltrated urban areas, posing a risk to pets and occasionally humans. Their diet primarily consists of smaller creatures like rats, birds, and other snakes, but larger specimens are capable of taking down larger prey, such as deer and crocodiles.
