Bali: Shocking video shows deadly pythons swimming in streets of Aussie holiday hotspot
A shocking video clip has gone viral on social media, capturing a five metre long snake slithering down a Bali street.
Shocking video footage of deadly pythons swimming in the flooded streets of a popular Aussie tourist destination has gone viral on social media.
The clips show giant snakes, some reaching up to five metres in length, swimming through Bali streets as locals remain somewhat stranded.
The Indonesian island has been hit with days of nonstop rainfall, leaving roads looking more like rivers, with many first floor residences totally flooded.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Video footage posted to X shows the moment a giant python is seen skimming the water’s surface down a typical suburban street.
It moves quickly through the water as locals watch on from their balconies.
Though it’s unclear what species of python it is, Bali is known for the Burmese Python, which can grow up to seven metres in length.
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It is a non-venomous creature, but is still deadly because it is a constrictor that wraps around its prey and squeezes it until it suffocates.
They are generally not aggressive toward humans, but can bite if they are provoked or feel threatened.
They typically keep to forests, grasslands and near water bodies, so torrential rain events can draw them into residential areas.
Alarm was raised over snake safety concerns in Indonesia back in 2018, when the body of a woman was found inside the belly of a giant python.
The body of Wa Tiba, 54, was discovered after Persiapan Lawela villagers cut up the seven metre long swollen snake on the island of Muna.
At the time, the local police chief Hamka explained that residents had become “suspicious the snake swallowed the victim, so they killed it, then carried it out of the garden”.
More than 100 locals had been searching for the missing woman after she failed to return home from her garden.
Hamka explained that the snake was found about 30 metres from Ms Tiba’s belongings. She was swallowed head first and her body was found intact, The Guardian reported.
Though horrifying, the incident is rare, giant pythons are known to attack small animals but not people.
Bali is also home to venomous snakes including the King Cobra, Blue Krait and Malayan Pit Viper.
Indonesia records upwards of 135,000 snake bites every single year, with a mortality rate of 10 per cent.
Australia, home of the world’s most venomous snakes, only records between zero and two snake bite deaths each year.
Researchers say the disparity exists not because of an absence of antivenom in Indonesia, but rather improper first aid treatment.
Tri Maharani, a toxicology specialist, said snake bite cases in Indonesia are linked to traditional beliefs, with many locals preferring traditional/mystical treatments over medical care.
In her view, this leads to the inadequate handling of snakebite incidents.
“As a result, efforts to address snakebite cases become even more difficult and increasingly disconnected from medical approaches,” Dr Maharani said in a lecture at the Gadjah Mada University in September 2025.
