45-year-old woman found inside python's stomach in Indonesia

The body of a 45-year-old woman, reported missing in Indonesia, was found inside a python's stomach, Azernews reports.

The incident occurred in Kalempang village, South Sulawesi province. Farida went missing on the evening of June 6. The following day, villagers searching for her encountered a 5-meter long reticulated python with a noticeably swollen belly in the nearby forest. Upon dissecting the snake, they discovered Farida's entire body.

While such occurrences are uncommon, Indonesia has seen several instances of pythons consuming humans in recent years. In one incident last year, an 8-meter-long python fatally attacked and ingested a man on Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi. In 2018, a 54-year-old woman's body was found inside a 7-meter-long python in another town within the province. A year prior, a villager was swallowed alive by a 4-meter-long python in West Sulawesi.

The reticulated python, known for its intricate web-like skin patterns, is native to South and Southeast Asia. This endangered species ranks as the world's longest snake and the third heaviest, after the anaconda and Burmese python. Despite being hunted for their skin and medicinal properties, reticulated pythons primarily prey on vertebrates and birds, capable of swallowing animals up to a quarter of their length and equivalent weight.