• A python that swallowed a goat was killed by young boys in the bushes in Badlaneni village.

• The community had been fighting over missing livestock, blaming each other for theft.

The people of Badlaneni village in Nongoma are finally at peace, thanks to a group of brave cattle herders who killed a giant python that had been eating their goats.

For months, families in the village had been accusing each other of stealing livestock. Some even feared that neighbours would kill each other over the ongoing disappearances.

Ward 14 councillor Smanga Mbatha said the tension in the village had become dangerous.

“The fighting was getting out of hand. People were ready to kill because they believed someone was stealing their animals,” he told Scrolla.Africa.

That changed on Saturday when young boys spotted something unusual while searching for their cattle, a huge python lying still in the bushes.

They quickly called other community members, and it was clear the snake had just swallowed a large goat. Unable to move, the python was beaten to death. Its stomach was then cut open, and the missing goat was pulled out, already dead.

Mbatha said it was the biggest snake the area had ever seen. The boys have kept their remains, including the skin, because traditional healers are interested in buying it for muthi.

The Badlaneni area has been hit hard by wild animals that sometimes escape from nearby private game reserves. Mbatha said lions, elephants and even a buffalo have killed people in the area recently.

Pictured above: A python killed by cattle herders in Badlaneni village after swallowing a goat.

Image source: Nongoma Community