In a shocking incident in central Indonesia, a 45-year-old woman named Farida was found dead in the stomach of a reticulated python. The event took place in Kalempang village, South Sulawesi province, marking the fifth known incident of a human being swallowed by a python in Indonesia since 2017.

Farida, a mother of four, was reported missing on the evening of June 6, 2024, after not returning home from her chili-selling venture. Her husband found her personal items, sparking suspicions and leading the villagers to start a search. The next day, they found a 16-foot-long python with a noticeably distended belly. Upon dissecting the snake, they were horrified to discover Farida’s body, fully clothed, inside.

The village leader, Suardi Rosi, articulated 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 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 have been known to attack humans. These snakes kill by constriction, squeezing their prey to death before ingesting it whole.

This event has garnered substantial attention due to its horrific nature and the rising number of similar incidents in recent years. In 2018, a 54-year-old woman named Wa Tiba was discovered inside a 23-foot-long python in Southeast Sulawesi’s Muna town. The victim vanished while tending to her vegetable garden. Following an extensive search by local residents, her sandals and machete were found the next day. Approximately 98 feet away, a giant python with a swollen stomach was spotted. Suspecting the snake had ingested Tiba, locals killed the snake and removed it from the garden, stated local police chief Hamka.

“When they cut open the snake’s belly, they found the victim’s body inside.” Unsettling footage was distributed on social media in Indonesia, displaying the woman’s body being extracted intact in front of a large crowd.

Another notable case in 2017 involved a farmer in West Sulawesi who was also ingested by a python. A 23-foot-long reticulated python was found to have swallowed 25-year-old Akbar Salubiro, as reported by The Jakarta Post. Salubiro was reported missing after failing to return from harvesting palm oil, according to a police spokesperson in West Sulawesi province. During their search, villagers found a python and suspected it had swallowed Salubiro.

“They couldn’t find Akbar, but they noticed a motionless python in the ditch,” Mashura, who only goes by his first name, told BBC Indonesia. “They suspected the snake had eaten Akbar. When they cut it open, they found Akbar inside.”

Experts suggest that deforestation and habitat loss may be factors in these attacks, as human settlements increasingly infringe on the natural habitats of these reptiles. Despite their notorious reputation, reticulated pythons typically avoid human interaction unless provoked or threatened.

In response to Farida’s death, local authorities have issued warnings and are implementing measures to prevent future attacks.