A woman who was reported missing last Thursday was found dead inside the belly of a snake that swallowed her whole in central Indonesia, local officials shared on Saturday.
The 45-year-old mother-of-four, Farida, was discovered by her husband and residents of the Kalempang village in South Sulawesi province. The woman’s body was inside a reticulated python that measured around 16 feet long.
Village head Suardi Rosi shared with AFP that a search effort was launched after she failed to return home last week.
Suardi said that Fardia’s husband had “found her belongings,” but after he couldn’t locate her, he became suspicious and worried.
“The villagers then searched the area. They soon spotted a python with a large belly,” Suardi said. “They agreed to cut open the python’s stomach. As soon as they did, Farida’s head was immediately visible.”
The villagers found Farida fully clothed inside the snake.
The Daily Mail and TMZ published graphic footage of the snake being cut open and the woman’s body being carried in a blanket past those who were searching for her.
While being killed by the pythons is rare, it has happened before, most recently in 2022 when a woman in Indonesia was killed and swallowed whole by one of the snakes, the BBC reported.
Zoo Atlanta, which houses some of the reticulated pythons, said that the breed of snake has “a reputation for being aggressive.”
The python is also the longest snake in the world that can grow up to 20 feet long, being native to Southern Asia, London’s Natural History Museum shared.