Missing man 'found in belly of giant python outside his garden'

A missing man has reportedly been found dead inside the stomach of a reticulated python.

Akbar Salubiro, 25, had not been seen since 26 March when he left his home in a remote village on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia.

But neighbours searching for the 25-year-old reportedly found a large snake near his garden and became concerned.

Village secretary Salubiro Junaidi told local media: "People had heard cries from the palm grove the night before Akbar was found in the snake’s stomach.

"When the snake was captured, the boots Akbar was wearing were clearly visible in the stomach of the snake.

"Residents cut open the belly of the snake and Akbar was lifeless."

Video footage published by the Tribun Timur purportedly shows the informal dissection of the snake to reveal Salubiro’s body. Human legs are apparently visible as the snake is cut open by locals.

Mr Salubiro’s wife, Munu, was away from home at the time of her husband’s disappearance and found out through media reports, according to the Tribun.

Reticulated pythons are found in Southeast Asia and are among the longest and heaviest snakes in the world.

Many of the snakes, found across the islands of Indonesia, can reach up to six metres or more. Their diets usually consist of small mammals and birds and prey is squeezed to death before being swallowed whole.

Attacks on humans are rare. While some have occurred by wild Southeast Asian pythons, others have been made by captive snakes in the US.