The farmer went out to look for the animal after it failed to return home with the rest of the herd. When he finally found it, he came across a huge python measuring about 5.5 meters long and weighing nearly 45 kilos, which had already swallowed much of the barely five-month-old calf.
The shocking incident occurred in Kampung Tembak B, near Paya Keladi, in the district of Baling, in the state of Kedah, in northern Malaysia. The livestock owner, Wan Hasbullah Wan Ismail, 57, explained that the calf had gone out to graze with its mother and disappeared without a trace. After beginning the search, he found the huge snake wrapping itself around and slowly swallowing the animal.
According to his account, by the time he arrived at the scene, the calf could no longer be saved. “I could only stand there watching. Half of its body had already disappeared inside the python”, he said.
The man alerted the Malaysia Civil Defence Force (APM), whose teams arrived at the oil palm plantation where the attack occurred. During the operation, the python regurgitated the calf in an attempt to escape, but it was ultimately captured by rescuers after an intervention that lasted about 30 minutes.
Authorities said the reptile was found about 500 meters from a residential area, so they urged residents to take extra precautions and contact emergency services if they encounter large wild animals again. They also explained that high temperatures and the search for food could be bringing these snakes closer to areas with livestock and homes.
The case was reported by Malaysian media outlets such as Malay Mail, New Straits Times and World of Buzz, and it quickly went viral because of the striking rescue images and the python’s unusual size.