A mother of four was on her way to a local market when she was attacked by a 20-foot python and swallowed whole. Her lifeless body, still fully clothed, was cut free from the reptile after she was declared missing.
Villagers from her local community sliced open the snake's stomach and discovered her remains inside.
Disappearance and discovery
Farida, 50, from Indonesia, vanished after venturing through woodland alone to reach a nearby market where she sold produce in the town of Kalimpong. Her husband, Noni, 55, assembled a search party with fellow villagers after she failed to return home that evening.
The village chief, Suardi Rosi, told AFP that her husband "found her belongings... which made him suspicious. The villagers then searched the area. They soon spotted a python with a large belly."
"They agreed to cut open the python's stomach. As soon as they did, Farida's head was immediately visible," Rosi added.
Body recovered from snake
The search team used a machete to cut open the enormous reptile, where they found the mother's body on June 6, 2024. It is thought the snake bit into her leg before proceeding to swallow her whole. Locals believe she died from suffocation and also sustained a bite wound to her limb.
Her body was extracted so that a religious burial could take place in the Pitu Riawa district of Sidrap Regency.
Husband's grief and warnings
"I am forever sorry that I let my wife go out alone. If I had been with her that day, the snake would not have dared to touch her," Noni said. "I feel sorry for the suffering she went through. I am sorry for our family."
Despite several previous python attacks across Indonesia, this is reportedly the first time such an incident has occurred in Kalempang. Village chief Suardi Rosi said: "We have warned everybody to be careful when they walk through the woods. Women should be accompanied by someone."
Previous similar incidents
In 2022, 54-year-old Jahrah disappeared while collecting rubber from a plantation in Jambi province. Two days later, locals discovered her body inside a giant python. In 2018, mother-of-two Wa Tiba, 54, was also a victim of a deadly snake attack. Her sandals and machete were found 30 metres from a giant python.
Local resident Ayu Kartika said at the time: "Everybody was crying, everybody was shocked. The poor woman. This is like a horror movie. People are terrified. We are scared to go outside. We can only pray for safety."
Police superintendent Agung Ramos from the Muna district Indonesian National Police described the events: "Children and residents had been looking for Wa after she did not return home. Some items belonging to victim, sandals, machete, and flashlights, were found but the victim was not there."
"The family then reported this to the police and the search reached its conclusion at 9am. Residents found a python that looked like it was unable to move. Residents then suspected the snake swallowed Wa Tiba. People took the snake into the village and started splitting it open. The suspicions were true, and there was a body intact inside the snake. Unfortunately, the victim was lifeless."
