Farida, a 50-year-old mother of four from Indonesia, was attacked and swallowed whole by a 20-foot python while walking alone through the woods to reach a local market in the town of Kalimpong. Her fully clothed body was discovered after villagers cut open the snake's gut.
Discovery and Search
Farida disappeared after heading through the woods alone to sell produce at the market. Her husband, Noni, 55, became concerned when she failed to return in the evening and formed a search party with neighbours.
Village head 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."
The search team found a bloated snake hiding in the undergrowth. On closer inspection, a human-sized shape was visible in its stomach. Using a machete, the team opened the reptile and discovered the mother dead on June 6, 2024.
Husband's Grief and Attack Details
"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."
Locals believe the snake sank its teeth into her leg before swallowing her whole, and that she died through suffocation. Her body was removed for a religious burial in the Pitu Riawa district of Sidrap Regency.
Previous Python Attacks in Indonesia
Despite several previous python attacks in Indonesia, this is reportedly the first such incident in Kalempang. Suardi Rosi said: "We have warned everybody to be careful when they walk through the woods. Women should be accompanied by someone."
In 2022, 54-year-old Jahrah vanished after collecting rubber from a plantation in Jambi province. Two days later, locals found her body in a giant python. In 2018, mother-of-two Wa Tiba, 54, was also a victim. Her sandals and machete were found 30 metres from a giant python. Local resident Ayu Kartika said: "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 explained: "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." He added that residents found a python that looked unable to move, suspected it had swallowed Wa Tiba, and split it open, finding her body intact but lifeless.
