LN was reported missing by his family on Friday (July 4) morning when he did not come home from tending his fields. Concerned relatives and neighbors began searching the area, eventually finding his motorbike parked near the plantation but no sign of the farmer himself. As the search intensified, villagers came across an enormous python—measuring approximately 8 meters (about 26 feet) in length—lying a few hundred meters from the victim’s hut.
The snake appeared unusually bloated and was struggling to move, arousing suspicion among the search party. Believing the python had swallowed something large, the villagers decided to kill it. When they cut open its stomach, they were horrified to find LN’s fully intact body inside.
Laode Risawal, head of the Emergency and Logistics Division of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of South Buton, confirmed that this is the first recorded incident of a human being swallowed by a python in the area, though sightings of large snakes have become more common in recent months, especially during the rainy season when pythons often prey on livestock.
Village security officer Sertu Dirman recounted that after the family’s missing person report, the search quickly focused on the plantation when the motorbike was found. The python was discovered not far from the hut, and its appearance immediately raised suspicions. The community, along with local officials, transported LN’s body back to his home following the discovery.
