A tragic incident occurred in South Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, on Saturday afternoon, 5 July 2025, when an elderly farmer, La Noti, aged 61, was found dead inside the stomach of a python measuring approximately eight metres in length.
La Noti, a resident of Majapahit Village, Batauga Subdistrict, was last seen leaving home on the morning of Friday, 4 July, at around 07:00 WITA, to feed his livestock. When he failed to return home by the following afternoon, his family grew concerned and alerted local authorities and neighbours to begin a search effort.
“We received a report from the community that a resident had been missing since yesterday morning, leaving the house saying the victim went to the garden area but has not returned,” said La Ode Risawal, Head of Emergency and Logistics at the South Buton Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), on Sunday, 6 July, as reported by Kompas.
The Batauga Police Chief, AKP Masud Gunawan, also confirmed the timeline: “The victim said goodbye to the farm to feed his cattle, but did not return home.”
At approximately 15:40 WITA on Saturday, residents discovered a large python with a visibly distended abdomen around 20 metres from the victim’s garden near Jalan Usaha Tani. Suspicious that the snake may have swallowed La Noti, they captured and killed it. Upon cutting open the python, they found the victim’s body intact but lifeless.
“Because of this suspicion, the snake was caught and killed. When it was cut open, sure enough, the victim’s body was found inside the snake’s stomach,” said AKP Suwoto, Head of Public Relations at Buton Police.
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The victim’s remains were evacuated around 16:40 WITA and transported by ambulance to the family home for burial the same evening.
Authorities Urge Vigilance After Rare Fatal Python Attack
The discovery shocked the local community. Family members present at the scene reportedly broke down in tears upon confirmation that La Noti had been swallowed whole.
According to witnesses, it took nine adults to carry the python to the roadside from the plantation area. When the body was confirmed, grief and disbelief swept through the gathered residents.
“While we were taking steps, suddenly information came that the victim had been found by residents of Majapahit Village,” added La Ode Risawal.
The incident has renewed warnings about the potential danger posed by wildlife in rural areas. Authorities confirmed this was not the first sighting of unusually large snakes in the region.
“This case adds to the long list of occurrences of large pythons in South Buton,” said Risawal. “Four times, snakes with a length of about 8 metres have been found near residential areas.”
Officials have advised the public to avoid working alone in remote agricultural areas and to remain vigilant, especially when venturing into dense plantation zones.
