A giant python in South Sulawesi has turned a local encounter into an international record, and not just because of her size.

So when local conservationist Budi Purwanto moved to secure the animal, the urgency was not about fame. It was about keeping a rare snake alive long enough for someone to see what was really there.

Snakes have both fascinated and scared humans for as long as we can remember. Especially frightening are the giants that stretch to incredible lengths and have immense power. The world’s largest ...