A 16-foot python swallowed a woman whole as she walked to work in Indonesia, and her body was later found intact in the snake's stomach after villagers killed it.
Victim identified as rubber plantation worker
The victim, identified as Jahrah, a rubber-tapper in her early 50s, was on her way to a rubber plantation in Jambi province on a Sunday morning in 2022. When she failed to return home, she was reported missing, and a search party was launched.
Villagers found a python with a distended stomach, killed it, and discovered her body inside. Betara Jambi police chief AKP S Harefa told local media, "The victim was found in the snake's stomach," adding that her body appeared largely intact.
Search and discovery
The victim's husband found some of her clothes and tools from the plantation on Sunday evening, prompting him to call for a search party. The snake was spotted on Monday and trapped by villagers. "After they cut the belly apart, they found it was Jahrah inside," Harefa told CNN Indonesia.
Nia Kurniawan from Brawijaya University explained that a python of this size typically preys on large animals and primates. This species of snake can reach lengths of up to 32 feet and is considered sacred in parts of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
Previous similar incident in 2018
In 2018, the body of Wa Tiba, a 54-year-old mother of two, was found inside a 23-foot python in Indonesia. Her remains were discovered after the snake was cut open. She had gone missing after heading out to tend her garden, and her sons found the python with a swollen belly near her sandals. Her head was positioned toward the snake's tail, indicating she had been consumed head first.
Eyewitness Ayu Kartika said: "Everyone 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."
