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The idea of being swallowed whole by an animal sounds like something straight out of a horror movie, or maybe a biblical tale.
But as strange as it sounds, there are a few creatures out there that actually have the physical ability to gulp down a human in one terrifying bite (or at least, in one drawn-out swallow). While rare, these encounters have been documented, especially in remote parts of the world.
Let’s take a closer look at the animals that could, and in some cases, have swallowed humans whole.
If there’s one creature on Earth that’s been confirmed to swallow humans whole, it’s this one. Native to Southeast Asia, the reticulated python can grow over 25 feet long. Thanks to incredibly flexible jaws and an elastic body, these snakes are built to consume prey far larger than their heads suggest, including full-grown humans.
There have been several confirmed cases in recent years. In 2017, a man in Indonesia vanished while harvesting palm oil. Villagers later found his body inside a 23-foot python.
More incidents have surfaced since, all in rural parts of Indonesia, where people live close to forests that are home to these predators.
Reticulated pythons kill by constriction, squeezing the life out of their prey before slowly swallowing it, headfirst.
The green anaconda, found in South America, is the world’s heaviest snake. It’s capable of overpowering animals like capybaras, caimans, and even jaguars. In theory, this snake could swallow a human, but so far, no confirmed cases exist.
Plenty of legends exist in the Amazon about giant anacondas swallowing people, but without concrete evidence, it remains folklore. That said, experts agree the size and power of the green anaconda could make it possible.
Saltwater crocodiles are living dinosaurs, the largest reptiles on Earth, with some males exceeding 20 feet. They don’t swallow prey whole as often as snakes do, but their massive size and bite force make it theoretically possible.
They’ve been known to kill humans in rivers and coastal waters, especially in parts of Australia and Southeast Asia. While most victims are torn apart or drowned first, smaller individuals could potentially be swallowed, though no clear, documented cases of a croc consuming an entire human body whole have emerged.
Sperm whales have enormous heads and mouths, which they use to hunt giant squid deep in the ocean. Their throats are large enough to accommodate a human, but there’s no record of one ever doing so.
In theory, if a person were in the wrong place at the wrong time, a sperm whale could accidentally swallow them. But these whales don’t hunt humans, and there’s no evidence one ever has.
Now and then, a whale accidentally scoops up a human, usually a diver or kayaker, while feeding. Humpback whales are filter feeders, taking in huge gulps of water and filtering it for krill. Their mouths are huge, but their throats? Not so much.
There was a case in 2021 where a lobster diver in Cape Cod, Michael Packard, was briefly trapped inside a humpback’s mouth before being spit out. He survived, shaken but unharmed. Another similar incident occurred with a kayaker in Chile in 2025. In both cases, the whales quickly realised their mistake and let go.
Hippos are among the deadliest animals in Africa, but not because they eat people. With jaws strong enough to crush bone and mouths large enough to fit a human torso, they can do serious damage.
One of the most harrowing stories is from Paul Templer, a river guide in Zimbabwe who was partially swallowed by a hippo during a 1996 attack. He lived, but lost an arm. Hippos don’t eat meat, but they are fiercely territorial and capable of lethal encounters.
