In a shocking incident, a 45-year-old woman named Farida was found dead inside a reticulated python in central Indonesia. The tragedy took place in Kalempang village, South Sulawesi province, making it the fifth reported case of a python consuming a person in Indonesia since 2017.
Farida, a mother to four children, vanished on Thursday night, June 6, 2024, after she didn’t come back home from selling chilies. Her husband found her personal items, raising concerns and starting a search by local residents. The following day, they found a python measuring 16 feet long with an enlarged belly. When the snake was cut open, they found Farida’s body, fully clothed, inside.
Local leader Suardi Rosi shared 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, narrating the moment when Farida’s body was found.
Reticulated pythons, the world’s longest snakes, are indigenous to Southeast Asia and can grow up to 30 feet in length. They usually prey on large mammals, but occasionally they have been known to attack humans. These snakes kill by constriction, applying pressure until their prey dies before consuming it whole.
The incident has drawn considerable attention, not only due to its horrific nature but also because of the rising frequency of similar incidents in recent years. In 2018, a 54-year-old woman named Wa Tiba was found inside a python that was 23 feet long, in Muna town, Southeast Sulawesi.
The victim went missing while she was in her vegetable garden. Local residents started a thorough search. The next day, they found her sandals and a machete, and about 98 feet away they discovered a huge python with a bloated stomach. Suspecting the snake had swallowed Tiba, locals killed the snake 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.”
Unsettling footage of the woman’s body being recovered intact circulated on social media in Indonesia, drawing a large crowd.
A significant incident from 2017 involved a farmer in West Sulawesi who was also swallowed by a python.
Locals found the body of 25-year-old Akbar Salubiro after cutting open a 23-foot-long reticulated python, as reported by The Jakarta Post. Salubiro was reported missing when he failed to return from palm oil harvesting the previous day, a police spokesperson in West Sulawesi province told BBC Indonesia. During their search, villagers encountered a python and suspected it had consumed Salubiro.
“They couldn’t find Akbar, but they noticed a stationary python in the ditch,” said Mashura. “They suspected the snake had eaten Akbar. When they cut it open, they found Akbar inside.”
Experts suggest that deforestation and loss of habitat may be contributing to these attacks, as human settlements encroach on the natural habitats of these reptiles. Despite its fearsome reputation, the reticulated python typically avoids humans unless it feels threatened or provoked.
The death of Farida has prompted local authorities to issue warnings and implement preventive measures to avoid similar future incidents.