Has anybody else got this article? Thoughts?

Apparently a 22 foot python literally ate someones grandma in the Indonesia jungle.
I read it with a pinch of salt, part of me doesn’t believe it, or want to believe it. Whats your guy’s thoughts on it?

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That article is pretty sensationalized and demonizes the snake versus the source material. After going and tracking down an Indonesian article, it said the snakes in the area would usually eat wild boars and livestock, but due to humans, there were no wild boars. It was found in the area of a rubber plantation. So essentially this snake’s home territory was invaded and decimated by people, so it ate what it could find. From the video, it seems the woman had a very slight build to begin with.

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It’s extremely rare but not unheard of. I think Nat Geo also had an article or two about man eater snakes when I was a kid. However much less sensational writing.

When it does happen it is always a situation like this. A smaller person living in or at the edge of a heavily forested area where these species are getting pushed out or needing to change feeding patterns due to human interference.

It always gets over hyped and the animals become demonized for it.
Look at what happened in Japan over 4th of July this year. A popular comic artist was swept out to sea by a riptide while trying to aid a rescue. Before this became known, all people did was claim her was the victim of a shark attack because after he died they scavenged the body. But sharks are killers! Large snakes are man eaters!
It’s always written by people who haven’t understood what makes these animals act like they do.

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Ya I hate how they demonize but this can happen, albeit extremely rare. I believe an Indonesian translated article said the grandmother was under 5 ft tall and under 90lbs. Not all that far off from a wild boar size. Sad though, the snake did nothing wrong but will be stigmatized.

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This story just reached my office this morning. I had to explain to everyone how this is such a rare occurrence as they all know we keep boas. People read stories like this and immediately all large snakes are gonna take your family out one by one…:man_facepalming:

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Fear= sales/views is all this person was going for! Also like to point out the obvious misinformation, saying that’s why these pythons need to be eradicated from the Everglades. Come on that’s 2 different python species! I hate when people lump together snakes in just 2 categories. The ones that kill you with venom, and the ones that kill you by constriction! Need more education, less ignorance in general when it comes to animals that aren’t considered cuddly or cute😡 Although I know we think all of are hatchlings are very cute, and I love a good cuddle with my retic! Who doesn’t love a good hug around the shoulders?

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Then theres this. Its irresponsible owners that will eventually ruin it for us responsible owners. People are loosing there minds about this, knee jerk reactions to ban all constrictors, etc. This stuff gets my blood boiling

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I for one know nothing about boas, but that thing looks way thicker than most boas I see. Is that thing obese or a normal size? Lol

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Normal size adult. You should see my friends adult female suriname boas! In my opinion the snake doesnt look obese.

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I’ve also heard of pet dogs and cats whose owner passes away and isn’t found for a matter of days or weeks and Muffy or Rover decides to eat all the tender meaty bits (usually off the face/mouth) out of hunger and desperation. As others have said if it did in fact happen I’m sure it was a matter of desperation on the animals part and the woman may have been somehow injured or invalid to begin with. Also as an aside Miracle of the Andes: How Survivors of the Flight Disaster Struggled to Stay Alive | HISTORY desperate situations call for desperate measures for animals and humans at times. :woman_shrugging:t2:

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100% of the reason why I asked, I knew I would likely be wrong lol. I’ve just never seen any that girthy in person!

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Lol, no worries. It takes a while compared to the growth rate of say a burmese but they can get to an impressive size. Holding them is amazing at that size, boas have a strong grip/feel to them.

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Agreed, , but even if true? more people die from a reaction to bee stings or even household accidents. lets have some perspective. Lots of ways to get hurt.
lets not even mention deaths via our best friend - dogs. (which I keep and love)

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So I view this article with a lot of skepticism. I have a hard time believing ANYTHING anymore that is broadcasted on ANY news channel.

Reticulated pythons can in fact grow to great lengths and are understandably powerful animals but did she take off her shoes and jacket before the snake allegedly consumed her?

I for one am not falling for this…… but to each his own…….:thinking:

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There is no reason to doubt the story whatsoever, it’s known to occur. The death was confirmed and there is graphic video of them cutting the woman out of the snake.

The woman was a tree tapper on a rubber plantation, she probably took off her jacket in the process of her work as the day got warmer. They start early in the morning or in the evening when it is cooler. Her shoes were also sandals, likely of the thong/flip-flop variety. Depending on the plantation/trees, she might’ve had to climb to collect.

To doubt this report is to doubt fact. These kinds of things tend to happen when you encroach on the territory of large animals and drive out their natural prey.

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Well then I suppose the saying “sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction” applies here. I can’t fathom how horrible it would be to be suffocated and then swallowed whole by a giant snake.

I do feel sorry for all animals that have had their territories decimated by man, or forest fires/floods that destroy their natural habitats as well as the poor animals themselves being destroyed.

Natural disasters/Acts of God are one thing but when mankind has a hand in the destruction and possible extinction of any wildlife or it’s natural habitats, whether it’s furred, feathered, finned or scaled, it saddens me greatly.

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Indeed it is. I cannot imagine it’d be a pleasant experience and I do hope she went quickly.

It’s just an all around devastating situation, these animals just trying to survive what we as people have done to their homes. There is no one to blame but humanity itself when incidents like this happen. We encroached into their world, and they’re doing all they can to hang on. Sometimes that has unthinkable consequences such as this. I just wish the “news” would be less sensationalized, no need to inflict more suffering on these animals for just doing what they need to survive.

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Yes Amen to that! I know that the snake had to be sacrificed for the dignity of the woman but what a an amazing creature it appeared to be! Almost of prehistoric proportions……

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Truly a magnificent specimen. My heart breaks for both lives lost.

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@noodlehaus is completely correct. I saw this article the other day. And now, one ot the local.radio stations has sensationalized it as well as it coincides with halloween. My biggest pet peve about this whole thing is the guy that i saw the article from included a picture of a Ball Python at the beginning of the article. Now the unknowing public is going to translate Ball Python as the species that did this. Very poor reporting of facts there. I dont know that he is even a real reporter. The radio station didnt bother to elaborate on the statemnet other then to sensationalize that a 22 foot python at a 55 year old grandma. Nor did the bother to mention that the victom was in fact in the animals natural environment.
This isn’t any different that someone swiming in the ocean being attacked by a shark, someone in the plains of africa being attacked by a lion, someone on a golf course near the everglades being attacked by an aligator or even someone in the Northern states or Canada being attacked by Grizzly Bears, Wolves or Mountain Lions. Anytime you’re in the natural environme of an apex predator, you had better be wary of your surroundungs and constantly be on the lookout for them. And you really shouldnt be on your own in those places. Granted, this unfortunate woman had probably been working on this rubber tree plantation for a very long time on her own without incidence. But at her age, she may verry well have just had a heart attack in the process of trying to get away and been eaten anyway. There was no mention whether or not she was in good physical condition or any comments about the status of her health.

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