Picture: Did this HUGE snake eat a human being?

A picture of a snake that looks like it has eaten a human-sized meal has been taking the internet by storm.

The enormous python is pictured after eating a snack that some suggest was a person.

According to the Daily Mail, the origin of the picture is in question, with a number of suggestions as to where it comes from sweeping the net.

One Twitter user suggests it was taken in India, where the snake swallowed a drunk man who fell asleep on the street, while another claims the reptile swallowed a woman in Durban, South Africa, in June 2013, and the the image was taken by Linda Laina Nyatoro, a reporter.

Some sites, however, including Hoax Slayer, and news.com.au claim the photo is a big fat fake. It reports the Linda Laina Nyatoro did post the picture on her Facebook page, but did not claim to be a witness to the supposed incident.

She claims that one of her colleagues was there when a woman's body was removed from the snake.

But this has not been confirmed. The site also says the pictures has been circling online since September 2012 so, whatever it did eat, it was not likely to have been a woman in South Africa in June 2013.

While it is not impossible, credible reports of humans being swallowed whole by pythons are very rare.

Back in 2002, a 20ft African rock python swallowed a 10-year-old boy whole while he was fruit picking in Durban, reports the Daily Telegraph.

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Although they might look cumbersome and cute, hippos are actually one of the most feared animals in Africa, and can outrun a human. When a male feels its territory is threatened, or a female thinks her offspring her in danger, these animals can be particularly dangerous. And with huge teeth and mouth that can open four feet wide, it's a good idea to steer clear.
Kills: An estimated 100-150 people a year.
Deadly technique: Hippos will charge, trample and gore its victims, and have been known to upturn boats and canoes without warning.
Lives in: Africa

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