Indonesian Villagers Fight Off 25.5-Foot Reticulated Python

Members of a village in Indonesia recently fought off and ate a 25.5-foot reticulated python.

The one who discovered it was a guard, Robert Nabahan. He was returning from work in a palm plantation when he came across the large serpent.

The 37-year-old guard claimed the snake was in the middle of the road and prevented two villagers from crossing. Nabahan tried to capture the python but was injured.

He said he tried to grapple and it bit his arm. They struggled for a while before he got assistance from villagers.

They came to his rescue and started hitting the snake so it could let him go, which it did eventually. It was finally killed before being presented in the village and eaten by the locals.

Nabahan is in stable condition though officials claimed there is a chance his hand will have to be amputated.

Photos taken of the incident illustrated the dead python had been strung up by villagers. They were viral for at least a week considering a snake of this size is not common.

Specialists claimed it was a reticulated python which is a common species in southeast parts of Asia. The python can measure up to 30 feet though it is quite rare to find one of this size. The only species that commonly grows to this length is the anaconda.

The sighting is not uncommon considering pythons are frequently encountered in Sumatra. There are at least ten sightings every year, particularly during the dry season when snakes venture out.

The encounter may also have to do with the blazing forest fires in Sumatra over the past weeks. The animals are escaping to safety, approaching areas of human settlement.

There are reports that carcasses of massive snakes have been discovered as the residents fought the raging fires.

People fighting the fire were shocked to find remains of animals unable to escape the flames including giant, 30-foot snakes which were burned alive.

Donal Boyer, a herpetology specialist from the Wildlife Conservation Society, said the python tried to bite the guard and used its body to squeeze the man. The motives were allegedly not to eat the man. It was a defense mechanism as Nabahan was the aggressor.

Scenarios where reticulated pythons feed on people are scarce, but they can occur. There was a documented case of a young man that was found in the belly of the 23-foot python.