MAKASSAR (June 10): In a heart-wrenching incident, a 45-year-old woman named Farida was found dead inside the belly of a python in central Indonesia. This tragic event took place in the village of Kalempang, South Sulawesi province. The reticulated python, measuring approximately five meters in length, had swallowed her whole, local officials reported today.
Farida went missing on Thursday night, prompting her husband and fellow villagers to search for her. “Her husband found her belongings, which made him suspicious,” village head Suardi Rosi told AFP. This discovery led the villagers to scour the area, where they soon spotted a python with a noticeably large belly.
In a desperate attempt to find Farida, the villagers decided to cut open the python’s stomach. “As soon as they did, Farida’s head was immediately visible,” Suardi stated. She was found fully clothed inside the snake, confirming the worst fears of her family and community.
Although such incidents are exceedingly rare, they have occurred in Indonesia multiple times in recent years. Last year, a horrifying incident in Southeast Sulawesi’s Tinanggea district saw an eight-meter python strangling and consuming a farmer. Similarly, in 2018, a 54-year-old woman was discovered dead inside a seven-meter python in Southeast Sulawesi’s Muna town. The previous year, a farmer in West Sulawesi was found after being swallowed by a four-meter python at a palm oil plantation.
The village of Kalempang and Farida’s family are left mourning this shocking loss. Such incidents underscore the unpredictable dangers posed by wildlife in rural Indonesia, particularly in regions where human habitation intersects with the natural habitats of large predators like pythons.
