Nguyen Thi Thuy went to her family’s farm next to a hill in Ky Anh District on Monday, but could not see her calf anywhere. When she reached the cow shed, she discovered a python lying near the gates, its belly bloated.
Thuy then asked someone else to capture the python, and kept it in her home, intending to keep it.
Authorities said the python weighed 40 kg and spanned 4 m. Its belly was full as the calf weighed over 10 kg.
"Over the past month, besides the calf being swallowed, our farm also lost three goats without any obvious cause. We occasionally saw pythons entering the farm, but none as big as this one," Thuy said.
After learning that the python belonged to an endangered species, Thuy handed it over to the forest protection department of Ky Anh District.
A representative of the Vu Quang national park on Wednesday said the park had received the python and was monitoring its health. If it is found to be healthy, it will be released into the wild.
The Indian python (Python molurus) is classified as endangered in Vietnam. Its main food sources include rodents, birds, frogs and reptiles. It is threatened by hunting and loss of habitat.
It is one of the largest snakes in the world.