A series of man-eating python cases have shocked public opinion.

(Dan Tri) - Two cases of man-eating pythons occurring within a short period of time in Indonesia have shocked the public opinion of this country. Which species of python is large and strong enough to kill and eat an adult human?

If you have ever watched "Anaconda", a Hollywood movie series about giant South American pythons, you will have witnessed images of huge pythons wrapping around and swallowing their unfortunate victims.

So does a python eating a human really happen in real life, or is this just a fictional detail imagined by the film director?

In fact, many cases of pythons eating humans have been recorded, but the culprits are usually the reticulated python (also known as the reticulated python) and the African rock python. Of these, the reticulated python is the species recorded to cause the most attacks and cannibalism.

Consecutive cases of reticulated pythons eating people in Indonesia

In early April alone, two cases of pythons eating humans were recorded in Indonesia, causing a stir in public opinion.

The first case occurred on April 1, when a 66-year-old woman named Hasia was walking home after a day of work at a rubber plantation in Pitu Riase district, South Sulawesi province. However, by nightfall, her family still did not see her return home, so they mobilized people to search for her.

Villagers searched the road from the rubber plantation back home. At 9pm, they discovered a large python, about 7m long with an unusually distended belly, lying quietly in the bushes.

A python with a bulging belly was killed by locals (Photo cut from clip).

People joined forces to kill the large python, then cut open its belly and were horrified to discover Ms. Hasia's body lying inside the python's belly.

"At first we were worried that she had fallen or gotten lost, but when we found the python with its bulging belly, I was terrified. This is so cruel. It must have been a painful death for my mother," Nurdin, Hasia's son, shared in pain.

After the incident, local authorities called on people to be more careful when passing through the forests and bushes around the village because this is home to many large pythons.

"We urge people to be more careful when passing through plantations and forests, as these areas are known to be home to large pythons. They are aggressive and can attack humans to eat them," said Ipda Zakaria, Pitu Riase District Police Chief.

The second case of a man-eating python occurred in a village near the forest in Buton district (Southwest Sulawesi province) when Ms. Wa Siti, 55 years old, was working on her family's plantation when she was suddenly attacked by a large python in the bushes.

When it was dark and his mother had not returned home, La Faru, Wa Siti's son, went searching everywhere. When he reached a bush near the family's plantation, La Faru was horrified to see his mother being eaten by a large python, with her head completely inside the animal's mouth.

La Faru called the surrounding neighbors for help. The villagers used weapons to kill the python, but it was too late to save Mrs. Wa Siti's life.

"People saw the python wrapped around Wa Siti's body and swallowing her head. They immediately killed the python but it was too late," said One Hardi, a police officer in Buton district.

Locals said they had seen large pythons in the forest near the village, but they never thought these animals could eat people.

Reticulated pythons in the forests of Indonesia can grow to extremely large sizes thanks to abundant food sources and suitable habitats (Photo: SNL).

Indonesia has a large population of reticulated pythons that live in forests and in areas near human habitation. The abundant food resources in the forests have allowed reticulated pythons in Indonesia to grow to exceptionally large sizes.

Human encroachment on forests to build villages and clear land for agriculture in Indonesia has led to more frequent clashes between humans and reticulated pythons.

A few days ago, a man living on the island of Bali also died after a python wrapped itself tightly around his neck while he was trying to catch the animal with his bare hands.

In 2024, at least four cases of reticulated python attacks and man-eating were recorded in Indonesia.

Large pythons are widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia.

The reticulated python, also known as the Asian reticulated python ( scientific name Python reticulatus), is a species of python found in many different habitats, ranging from dense forests, swamps, canals to even large cities, causing them to frequently clash with humans.

The reticulated python's lower jaw can split in two, allowing this animal to swallow large prey (Photo: CTM).

This is the longest reptile in the world today, with an adult length of more than 6m, sometimes up to 8m or 9m, but quite rare. An adult reticulated python weighs from 150 to 270kg.

Reticulated pythons are widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia and India. Their diet includes birds and animals such as rodents, pigs, deer, primates, etc. They can also eat dogs, cats, and chickens in residential areas.

In Vietnam, the reticulated python is an animal listed in the Red Book and is protected by law, prohibiting all forms of hunting and trading...

How do reticulated pythons hunt?

Like other pythons, reticulated pythons are non-venomous and hunt by wrapping their bodies around their prey and squeezing them to death. Although they are non-venomous, reticulated python bites cause heavy bleeding and can lead to serious infections because their mouths contain dangerous bacteria.

According to Dr. Harry Greene from Cornell University, USA, with the strength of an adult reticulated python, it can easily kill an adult in just a few minutes.

Dr. Greene said the way pythons attack humans is similar to how they hunt. First, the python will bite to hold its victim. Reticulated pythons are not venomous, but they have sharp, inward-curving teeth that help them hold their prey after the bite.

Reticulated pythons have sharp teeth and muscular strength that help them easily kill large prey (Photo: Shutterstock).

After biting and holding its prey, the reticulated python will coil its body around the victim, making it impossible for them to breathe. If a human is strangled by a reticulated python, their ribs and internal organs will soon be destroyed and the victim will stop breathing within minutes.

Dr Greene said that while reticulated pythons kill humans very quickly, they would take a long time to swallow an adult human, which is a large prey item.

"Pythons can swallow large prey because their lower jaw is detachable, not attached to the skull, allowing the python to open its mouth wide to swallow prey. It can take up to an hour for a reticulated python to swallow an adult human," Dr. Greene added.

Besides cases of humans being attacked and eaten by wild reticulated pythons, there have been cases of pet reticulated pythons attacking and killing their owners when provoked.

Terrifying moment a reticulated python suddenly attacks its owner while being fed (Video: Uno Sandvick).

For example, in January 2008, a 25-year-old woman living in Virginia, USA, was attacked and strangled to death by her own pet reticulated python. The python did not eat her, but the animal was found in an agitated state.

In January 2009, a reticulated python kept in Las Vegas attacked and nearly killed a 3-year-old child. When the mother discovered the incident, she used a knife to attack the python to rescue her child. The child luckily survived, but the python was killed.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/lien-tiep-nhung-vu-tran-an-thit-nguoi-gay-rung-dong-du-luan-20250426025316353.htm