Indonesian authorities discovered a woman dead inside a python Friday, CBS News reported.
Farida, a 45-year-old mother of four from a local village in South Sulawesi province, disappeared Thursday night, according to CBS News. Her husband and local villagers launched a search when she did not return home before authorities found her Friday, according to the outlet. Farida’s husband reportedly found her belongings first, raising immediate concern among the community.
The search team soon located a reticulated python, measuring about 16 feet, with an unusually distended belly, according to the outlet. The villagers decided to cut open the snake’s stomach, which revealed Farida’s body, still fully clothed.
20-Foot Python Swallows a Woman Whole in Indonesian Forest | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/7Wv91Zpt8E
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 8, 2024
“They agreed to cut open the python’s stomach. As soon as they did, Farida’s head was immediately visible,” village head Suardi Rosi said in a statement, CBS News reported. (RELATED: Viral Video Shows Giant Python Hanging From Rafters, Gripping Possum By Neck)
The incident was documented as graphic video footage — released by TMZ — showing the snake being dissected in a wooded area. While Farida was walking, the snake reportedly approached her, TMZ stated. It reportedly started biting her leg and then coiling around her body, ultimately suffocating her. Following the attack, the reptile consumed her whole body, beginning with her head, according to the outlet.
The incident is at least the fifth recorded in Indonesia since 2017 where humans have fallen victim to pythons, CBS News reported, citing as a local official who spoke to AFP.
Reticulated pythons, which are prevalent throughout Indonesia and Southeast Asia, are known for their method of predation, which involves grasping their prey with sharp, curved teeth, constricting it to death and then consuming it whole.
