Body of missing man, who vanished while harvesting his crops, found in belly of seven-metre snake

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A farmer has been found inside the belly of a giant python after the animal was caught near where he vanished while harvesting his crops in Indonesia.

The body of Akbar, 25, was discovered inside the seven-metre (23ft) snake, which had been spotted slithering awkwardly in Salubiro village, on the eastern island of Sulawesi, on Monday.

“We were immediately suspicious that the snake had swallowed Akbar because around the site we found palm fruit, his harvesting tool and a boot,” said Junaidi, a senior village official.

Worried relatives launched a search for Akbar after he did not return home from the family’s plantation on Sunday.

Junaidi said the snake had swallowed the farmer whole, adding that it was the only such fatality recorded in the region.

This kind of python, which regularly exceeds 20ft, is commonly found in Indonesia and the Philippines. While the serpents have been known to attack small animals, attempts to eat people are rare.

In 2013, a security guard on the island of Bali was killed by a python at a luxury beachfront hotel.