A man in a remote village in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, was found dead inside a giant python after he failed to return home from tending livestock. The 61-year-old farmer, La Noti, was attacked and killed by the 28-foot snake, which then swallowed his body whole, marking a rare but deadly case where a python kills and consumes a man in full.
The incident occurred Friday morning in Majapahit Village. According to local authorities, La Noti had gone out early to feed his chickens but never returned. When his family noticed his absence, they launched a search the following day. His motorbike was discovered abandoned near a forest edge, prompting villagers to search the nearby area.
Later that day, residents spotted a massive python lying motionless in thick undergrowth, just a few feet from a small garden hut, appearing swollen and immobile. Suspecting the worst, locals captured the snake and cut it open, and found La Noti’s fully clothed body inside, covered in slime but largely intact.
Villagers make grim discovery during search
A disturbing video taken at the scene shows several villagers slicing open the snake’s midsection to retrieve the remains. His grieving family stood by as the body, measuring approximately 5 feet 4 inches, was carefully removed from the reptile’s stomach. The body was later returned to the family for burial.
Adjunct Police Commissioner Masud Gunawan, the local police chief in Batauga, confirmed the events. He said La Noti had informed his family he was heading out to feed his animals, but never came back.
“The family and residents searched and found he had been swallowed by a large python. The family accepted the cause of death and prayed for their relative.”
Local disaster official La Ode Risawal called the case unprecedented in the area. “This is the first time a human was eaten by a python in this area,” he said. He added that reports of python sightings in homes and gardens have increased in recent months, raising concerns among residents.
Experts blame habitat loss for the rise in encounters
Wildlife experts say the rising encounters may be due to shrinking natural habitats, which push large snakes closer to human settlements, where they hunt for food. Pythons over 20 feet long are common in parts of Indonesia and the Philippines. While fatal attacks on humans are rare, they are not unheard of.
In April, a similar tragedy struck the same region when a missing grandmother was discovered inside a 26-foot python.
Officials are urging villagers to be cautious when working near forested areas, especially alone.