In a shocking incident in Indonesia, a 57-year-old woman named Hapsah was killed by a 16-foot python while working on a farm. The tragic event unfolded in Muaro Jambi Regency, Jambi province, where Hapsah was attacked by the massive snake while working at a rubber tree plantation on August 27.
Hapsah’s husband, M Safri, 66, who also worked at the same plantation, became worried when his wife did not return home that afternoon. He set out to find her and was horrified by what he discovered. As he searched through the tall grass, he heard rustling noises and approached the source of the sound, only to find a huge python coiled around his wife, who was already dead. The snake had squeezed the life out of her and was preparing to swallow her head-first.
Sungai Gelam Police Chief, Iptu Usaha Sitepu, described the gruesome scene: “When he approached the source of the sound, he saw that the victim had been constricted to death by a python and was about to be swallowed head-first. He knew she was already dead, so he could only pull at the snake’s tail and hit it until it loosened its grip.”
Safri, devastated and in shock, ran back to the village to call for help in recovering his wife’s body. In response, a group of villagers gathered and set out to find the snake. They tracked it down near the roots of a tree, where they mercilessly beat it to death.
Village head Amdi recounted the terrifying experience: “Hapsah was almost swallowed entirely by the snake, with only half of her body left to engulf when her husband managed to free her. After the snake escaped, residents immediately searched for it and killed it. It was massive. It was taken to the village to be shown to the community after it was killed.”
Safri, overwhelmed with grief, took Hapsah’s body back home to prepare for her funeral.
Reflecting on the tragedy, he said, “I returned home from the plantation earlier, but if I had known my wife would be attacked like this, I would have stayed to protect her.”
This is not the first time such a horrifying incident has occurred in Indonesia. Just two weeks earlier, on August 14, a 74-year-old grandmother named Maga was killed and devoured by a python while tending to her cows in the Sumarambu mountains, near Palopo City in South Sulawesi province. Her son, Sanaria, found her half-swallowed by the snake, and villagers later killed the python and brought its body back as a trophy.
Reticulated pythons, one of the world’s largest snake species, are found throughout Southeast Asia, often living in forests, swamps, canals, and even urban areas. Their presence frequently leads to deadly conflicts with humans, as they are capable of eating people, as well as cats, dogs, birds, and other animals.