By Tim Binnall
Panic recently spread throughout a village in Indonesia as several residents believed that they had fallen victim to a shapeshifting boar demon that stole their money. The bizarre case reportedly began a few weeks ago in the community of Bedehan, when numerous people began to notice that their wealth had mysteriously depleted. As concerns began to grow, a self-proclaimed mystic stepped forward and pointed the finger at one particular individual who is unemployed, yet seemingly wants for nothing. The sorceress went on to accuse the inexplicably rich resident of practicing a very strange form of black magic.
According to the mystic-fueled speculation which had quickly spread throughout the village, the suspected individual had become what is known as a 'babi ngepet.' Such a being, legend has it, utilizes a magical cloak that transforms them into a boar. Upon taking that form, the swine then sneaks into homes and uses its powers to somehow extract riches from the residents. The ill-gotten loot subsequently appears beneath the cloak when the babi ngepet becomes a human again. While such a tale may sound wildly implausible to some, belief in the shapeshifting boar demon is apparently widely believed in some parts of the world and, in this case, the accusations caused quite the furor in Bedehan.
Looking to put an end to the babi ngepet's reign of terror, a veritable posse of villagers tracked down and captured a boar that they suspected was the source of all of their troubles. Although the furious group 'graciously' offering any relative of the person believed to be inhabiting the swine's body to come forward and claim their loved one, no one answered the call and, as such, they opted to behead the creature as part of a ritual designed to stop the sorcery once and for all. Amazingly, videos centered around the community's weird pursuit of the mystical being went viral on social media in Indonesia and ultimately wound up making national news in the country.
A subsequent investigation by police in Bedehan determined that the pig was not a babi ngepet and, in fact, was just a run-of-the-mill boar that had unfortunately found itself the target of an angry mob. Meanwhile, the mystic who started all the speculation in the first place soon became the target of the community's ire, since residents had been widely mocked on social media for believing in the legendary tale of the shapeshifting boar demon. Despite apologizing for her actions, the sorceress was banished from the village and could face criminal charges for causing the commotion.