It may seem a bit like a bad horror movie. But a giant python can swallow a person whole if given the opportunity. There have been cases in the past, and this sad story highlights just how deadly the snake can be.
A giant python swallowed a grandmother whole in South Sulawesi, Indonesia on Tuesday. Her family managed to track down the snake, finding it with a large bulging stomach. Hacking apart the creature, they found the body of 66-year-old grandmother Hasia inside. She had disappeared while walking home from her job at a rubber factory.
Locals believe the giant python sprung on the grandmother from the tall grass. The weight of the 26 foot long serpent likely caused her to fall to the ground. From there, the python crushed her to death before swallowing her whole. The woman's family managed to find her and the snake after launching a search when she didn't come home.
Upon discovering the bulging python, they instantly feared the worst!
Python Eats Grandmother
Her son Nurdin said, "At first we were worried because she didn't come home, even in the afternoon. We were concerned she had become lost or injured herself at work. Then we looked for her in the plantation until around 9 pm, when we found a large python lying still on the grass. This was devastating. I know it was a painful death for my mother."
He continued, "Even though the snake is dead, it is no consolation. It will never bring her back. Now, we are saying prayers for her to be at peace."
They will bury the grandmother as according to their customs. Following the python attack, Ipda Zakaria, Pitu Riase Police Chief, said, "Currently, the victim is at the funeral home. Due to this incident, we are urging residents to be more careful when traveling through the plantation area, because it is known to be inhabited by large pythons."
He continued, "They are aggressive and will attack humans, because it is an easy food source for them."
It's not the first time a giant python has swallowed someone. Previously, a snake ate a father of three at a palm plantation. His brother-in-law Wawan found the giant snake. Locals later cut open the python to find his corpse.
Wawan said, "We used to joke that we could be eaten by a snake at night. They are a danger that everyone knows about. I cannot explain how my brother was caught by one. He was very experienced."
