A video has shown the horrific moment a farmer was found dead inside the belly of a huge python in Indonesia.
La Noti, 61, was attacked by the 28ft snake when he was tending to his livestock in Southeast Sulawesi on Friday morning.
The beast emerged from the tall grass and latched onto his leg while he was feeding his chickens.
The grandfather, who had no weapon to defend himself was then crushed to death and swallowed whole.
After he did not return home, his concerned family raised the alarm the next day.
They found his motorbike abandoned at the edge of the road in Majapahut Village, prompting a huge search party by locals.
But later in the day, they were shocked to find the bloated snake lying in an undergrowth just several feet away from a garden hut.
Fearing the worst, they caught the motionless reptile, weighed down by the prey in its stomach and sliced it open.
La Noti’s family became concerned after the grandfather failed to return home after going to the farm to feed his livestock
Locals sliced open the huge snake after they found it with a bloated stomach
The snake was motionless after being weighed down by the prey in its stomach
It was at that moment that his family’s worst fears became a reality – La Noti’s fully clothed body was lodged inside the beast’s stomach, covered in slime.
A gruesome video taken at the scene shows how several locals meticulously sliced open the snake’s midsection to retrieve La Noti’s 5’4″ remains, as his devastated relatives watched on.
His body was eventually returned to his family for burial.
Adjunct Police Commissioner Masud Gunawan, Batauga police chief, said: ‘The victim said goodbye to his family, saying he was going to feed his livestock but he did not return home.
‘The family and residents searched and found he had been swallowed by a large python. The family accepted the cause of death and prayed for their relative.’
An official who runs an emergency and disaster department said the case was unprecedented.
La Ode Risawal said: ‘This is the first time a human was eaten by a python in this area. Recently, pythons have indeed been appearing more frequently in people’s homes and gardens.
Local wildlife experts believe the surge in snake sightings comes as a result of a disturbance
Authorities say they have warned residents to be careful when they venture into the forest alone
‘We have warned residents to be careful when they go into the forest alone for work.’
Wildlife experts in the area believe the recent surge in python sightings comes as the result of disturbances in their natural habitat.
Huge pythons that grow over 20ft are commonplace in Indonesia and nearby Philippines.
Although attacks on humans are somewhat rare, the situation can get deadly when the beasts are forced to venture out of their habitat for food.
In April this year, it was reported that a grandmother, who had also gone missing had been swallowed whole by a 26ft serpent in the same region.
