Pythons

[peter]

FARMER SWALLOWED BY PYTHON IN SULAWESI

Over the years, there have been many discussions about humans swallowed by large snakes. Although many authorities doubt the countless reports, those who knew about anacondas and pythons had no doubt whatsoever.

When I was in Surinam, French Guyana and the northern tip of Brazil in the early eighties of the last century, I went out on my own. Nearly all Indians told me about relatives and friends taken by anacondas. One of them actually witnessed an attack. Talking adults here, not children. Others with experience confirmed their stories. The last I talked to was a trader in wild animals. Same story.

Until 1951, Indonesia was a Dutch colony. I talked to quite a few who had been born and bred in Java, Sumatra, Celebes and a number of smaller islands. Some had been in the forest for most of their life. Most of them confirmed the stories described in old books. In those days, Celebes in particular had large pythons. Although stories about humans swallowed by pythons were rare, they have been confirmed by authorities.

Today, Celebes is Sulawesi. Although large, this island isn't as crowded as some of the other islands. Not so long ago, a story about a farmer swallowed by a large python made headlines. Based on what I read and saw, I think it's true. The poor man was surprised and most probably (I can confirm that even 6-8 feet pythons and anacondas have tremendous power) didn't stand a chance. 

The video has a length of 5:59 minutes. The story described above is told in the first minute only. There are longer videos, but I didn't like them. It's graphic, but it proves that these things happen every now and then. It happened in March of this year: 
  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2vsqOi4GDs Reply