A 61-year-old farmer was found dead inside a 28-foot python after being attacked while feeding his livestock in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia on Friday morning, July 4. La Noti had gone to tend to his chickens in Majapahut Village but failed to return home, prompting a family search that led to the gruesome discovery.

The grandfather was attacked by the massive reticulated python that emerged from tall grass and latched onto his leg while he was feeding his chickens. With no weapons available to defend himself, Noti was crushed to death and swallowed whole by the snake. His family became concerned when he did not return home and began searching for him the following day.

The search party discovered Noti’s abandoned motorbike at the edge of the road, which prompted a wider search by local residents. Later that afternoon, villagers found a bloated python lying motionless in undergrowth just several feet away from a garden hut. The snake appeared weighed down by prey in its stomach.

Fearing the worst, the villagers captured the reptile and sliced it open to reveal Noti’s fully clothed body lodged inside the beast’s stomach, covered in slime. A video taken at the scene shows several locals meticulously cutting open the snake’s midsection to retrieve the 5-foot-4-inch farmer’s remains while his devastated relatives watched.

Batauga police chief Masud Gunawan confirmed the incident, explaining that the victim had said goodbye to his family before going to feed his livestock. Gunawan noted that “the family and residents searched and found he had been swallowed by a large python.” The family has accepted the cause of death and prayed for their relative, according to police.

La Ode Risawal, head of the local disaster office’s emergency and logistics division, indicated this marked the first time a human had been eaten by a python in the area. However, he noted that pythons have been appearing more frequently in people’s homes and gardens recently. Authorities have warned residents to be careful when venturing into forests alone for work.

The incident occurred in Southeast Sulawesi, where Noti was known to work in the orchard daily. Wildlife experts believe the recent surge in python sightings results from disturbances in their natural habitat or declining prey populations, which forces these large reptiles to venture closer to human settlements in search of food.

La Ode Kaida, head of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency in the province, attributed the increased python encounters to habitat disruption. Indonesia is home to some of the world’s largest pythons, with the sprawling woodland and rich biodiversity of the archipelago providing ideal conditions for these snakes to grow to enormous lengths.

While attacks on humans by these massive serpents are relatively rare, the situation becomes dangerous when the beasts are forced to leave their natural habitat to hunt for food. The reticulated python that killed Noti measured 28 feet in length, making it one of the larger specimens encountered in the region.

This incident follows a similar case that occurred in April 2025 in the same region, when a grandmother who had gone missing was found swallowed whole by a 26-foot python. The recurring incidents highlight the increasing frequency of human-python encounters in Southeast Sulawesi as development pressures force these massive predators into closer contact with human settlements.

Huge pythons that grow over 20 feet are commonplace in Indonesia and neighboring Philippines. While Southeast Asian countries have undergone rapid urbanization, Indonesia’s extensive forests and diverse ecosystem continue to support populations of these giant snakes that can pose risks to humans who venture into their territory.

Noti’s body was eventually returned to his family for burial after being recovered from the python’s stomach. The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by rural farmers and livestock keepers who work in areas where these massive predators are present.

Local authorities continue to monitor python activity in the region and have issued warnings to residents about the increased risk of encounters. The combination of habitat loss and the snakes’ need to find alternative food sources has created conditions where such attacks may become more frequent in rural areas of Indonesia.

Sources:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14881373/man-dead-inside-28ft-python-beast-crushed-devoured-Indonesia.html
https://metro.co.uk/2025/07/07/man-found-dead-inside-28ft-python-crushed-eaten-23599817/
https://gtvnewshd.com/trending/2025/07/07/la-noti-swallowed-by-28ft-python-in-indonesia-shocking-video-shows-farmers-tragic-fate/