In the village of Kalempang, Indonesia, a 50-year-old woman named Farida was found dead inside a giant python. The horrifying discovery was made after she disappeared on June 6 while walking through woodland to sell food at a local market.
Farida, a mother of four, was attacked by the 20ft long python, which plunged its teeth into her leg, coiled around her body, and suffocated her before swallowing her head first. Her husband, Noni, became worried when she did not return home by nighttime and alerted the locals, who began searching for her.
The following day, villagers found the enormous python sprawled out in the undergrowth with a large bulge in its stomach. Suspecting the worst, Noni and several villagers used a machete to slice through the snake’s thick skin. Farida’s body was found entombed inside the python, covered in slime. The villagers used a blanket to protect her modesty as they removed her body and took her away for a religious burial in the Pitu Riawa district of Sidrap Regency, South Sulawesi province.
Noni expressed deep sorrow over the incident, saying, “I am forever sorry that I let my wife go out alone. If I had been with her that day, the snake would not have dared to touch her. I feel sorry for the suffering she went through. I am sorry for our family.”
Suardi Rosi, the head of Kalempang village, recounted the discovery, “The victim’s husband looked for his wife in the nearby forest area because she had not been home for a day. He found a snake with a large stomach and immediately suspected that his wife had been eaten by the python. Several other villagers came along to help catch the python. The body of his wife was found in the stomach of the snake and taken to his house before being buried.”
This incident has not happened before in the village, prompting local authorities to warn residents to be cautious when walking through the woods, especially women, who should be accompanied by someone. Indonesia’s vast and dense jungles are home to a large population of giant reticulated pythons, which can thrive due to the lack of urban development in the region.
The last documented case of a human being eaten by a python was in 2022, also in Indonesia. This recent tragedy highlights the ongoing dangers posed by wildlife in the area and the need for increased awareness and precautionary measures.
