It was a horrifying discovery that sent shockwaves through the quiet village of Majapahit in South Buton, Southeast Sulawesi. Farmer’s Body Found Inside Python—these were the chilling words that echoed across the local community after a 63-year-old farmer, reported missing for over 24 hours, was found inside the stomach of an 8-meter-long reticulated python. The reptile, a massive serpent measuring approximately 26 feet, had slithered onto the plantation where the man worked—only this time, it wasn’t attacking livestock or wild prey. It had turned its attention toward a human being.
The incident unfolded in a remote part of Indonesia, where nature and human life often coexist on the edge. Villagers had grown increasingly anxious when the farmer failed to return home on Friday. The search party formed quickly, driven by worry and instinct. When they stumbled upon his motorbike abandoned by the roadside, fear deepened.
But it was the sight of a strangely bloated and struggling python nearby that drew immediate suspicion. The villagers, who had seen snakes before but never under such suspicious and alarming circumstances, made a quick and brutal decision—they killed the python. What they found upon slicing open its belly confirmed their worst fears: the farmer’s body was curled inside, fully intact but lifeless.
Farmer’s Body Found Inside Python
According to Laode Risawal, the head of the Emergency and Logistics Division of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), this was the first recorded instance of a human being swallowed whole by a python in the South Buton District.
While snakes were known to occasionally prey on chickens, goats, and other small livestock—especially during the wet season—attacks on humans had always been viewed as the stuff of myths or rare folklore. Yet this chilling event shattered those illusions.
Mr. Risawal provided more details to Antara, an Indonesian news agency, revealing that the victim—identified only by his initials, LN—had been missing since Friday morning. Residents had launched a search not long after the victim’s family filed a missing person’s report.
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While walking through the plantation, a few of them noticed the unusually large python struggling to slither properly. Its movement was sluggish, its midsection grotesquely distended. Suspecting it had consumed something large—perhaps even human—they decided to take no chances.
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Upon cutting the serpent open, they found the fully clothed body of LN, curled up but undamaged. The villagers, devastated and in disbelief, carried his remains back home. The scene was something none of them would soon forget—a stark reminder of how unpredictable and unforgiving the natural world can be.
When Pythons Cross the Line
Pythons are not new to the Indonesian landscape. In fact, reticulated pythons are common across Indonesia and the Philippines. Known for their remarkable length—some reaching over 20 feet—they typically avoid humans and prefer hunting smaller animals such as pigs, birds, or monkeys.
However, certain circumstances can provoke unusual behavior. Heavy rains often drive wildlife into closer proximity with human settlements. Food scarcity, habitat loss, and environmental changes may cause snakes to become more aggressive or to take risks they would otherwise avoid.
This tragic incident brings to mind a similar case from 2017, also in Indonesia, where 25-year-old Akbar Salubiro met the same fate. Akbar went missing after leaving to harvest palm oil in West Sulawesi. His body was found inside a 7-meter python after villagers noticed the snake moving awkwardly and appeared unusually bloated. The footage of that event, showing villagers cutting the snake open and revealing Akbar’s body, went viral and stunned viewers around the globe.
Such incidents are shocking not only due to their brutality but also because they challenge our sense of safety and normalcy. For many, the idea of being swallowed alive by a snake belongs in the realm of horror movies or ancient myths—not in the reality of modern-day agriculture.
Nature’s Reminder: Predators Still Exist
What makes these rare but grisly events so impactful is that they reveal something primal—an uncomfortable truth that in parts of the world, humans are not always at the top of the food chain. Despite rapid technological and societal advances, there are still places where predators roam free and danger lurks in tall grass or dense undergrowth. In Majapahit village, the farmer was simply tending to his daily chores when he encountered a creature that saw him not as a fellow inhabitant of Earth, but as food.
Village supervisory officer Sertu Dirman shared that the victim’s family initially feared the worst when LN failed to return. The clues—an untouched motorbike and a silent plantation—were soon followed by the grisly revelation of the python. The scene outside LN’s hut will likely stay etched in the minds of everyone who witnessed it: a massive snake with a grotesquely bulging stomach, still warm, hiding the terrible truth within.
Residents were both terrified and angered. While many had seen snakes slithering through fields or snatching chickens, none could have imagined such a monstrous act. The python’s size was not typical, either. At 26 feet, it was a rare giant—its appetite large enough to attempt swallowing a fully grown man.
According to snake experts, such occurrences are rare but not impossible. Pythons kill their prey by constriction, wrapping around the body and tightening until the prey suffocates. Once dead, the python slowly begins the process of ingestion, starting from the head and using its incredibly elastic jaw and muscles to swallow even large prey whole. Digestion can take several days, during which the python is sluggish and vulnerable.
But why would such a snake choose a human?
Experts suggest that it’s more about opportunity than preference. The farmer was likely alone, stationary, and possibly resting when the snake struck. It may have mistaken him for a wild boar or another large mammal. Once the constriction began, there was little the victim could do. It’s a grim but biologically plausible explanation.
A Wake-Up Call for Local Communities
This incident serves as a wake-up call for communities living on the edge of forests and plantations. While it’s impossible to eliminate all risks posed by nature, awareness and caution can go a long way. Measures such as keeping livestock away from snake-prone areas, cutting back overgrown vegetation, and educating residents about snake behavior can help reduce such tragic encounters.
Laode Risawal emphasized that although this was a first in the region, it might not be the last unless caution is practiced. The rainy season, in particular, brings snakes out in search of food or shelter, making human encounters more likely.
The local government, in response to this tragedy, may need to invest in better wildlife monitoring and offer safety guidelines to farmers and plantation workers. In many parts of Indonesia, people live and work very close to nature—with few barriers to prevent such tragedies. Investing in education, early warning systems, and even basic snake-handling equipment for emergencies could prevent future loss of life.
For now, Majapahit village mourns. The story of LN has shaken the community to its core. While pythons remain a part of the ecosystem, their presence now carries a darker shadow. A man lost his life not to violence or illness, but to a primal act of nature—one that many thought no longer occurred in the modern age.
In the heart of Indonesia, a grim reminder has slithered its way into public consciousness: even in today’s world, nature still has the power to surprise, shock, and swallow us whole.