At 7 years old, he survived five days alone, lost among lions and other wild animals

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A seven-year-old boy, who disappeared alone for five days in Zimbabwe in a national park home to many lions and other wild animals, was found alive after walking about 50 km in the park, reports said. Friday January 3, 2025 the country's wildlife authority.

Tinotenda Pundu had entered Matusadona National Park (northern Zimbabwe), located near his village, on December 27, and was found five days later about 50 km away, said Tinashe Farawo , spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks), in a statement.

Wild berries and water found by digging

The boy survived by feeding on wild berries and digging into a river bank for water, a technique well known in drought-stricken areas of Zimbabwe, the spokesperson added.

Incredibly, he is estimated to have walked through the dangerous terrain of this lion-filled Matusadana National Park for a distance of 49km from his village to where he was found.

Park rangers, local residents and police launched search operations shortly after the boy was reported missing, but their attempts were hampered by heavy rain.

The young boy's prints were finally spotted on December 30, and Tinotenda Pundu was found on the morning of December 31, according to the spokesperson. The boy, weakened, was hospitalized, but had no visible signs of injuries, said Mutsa Murombedzi, a parliamentarian from the area. “It’s a miracle that he survived,” he said.

“Smart enough to sleep” where animals couldn’t reach him

“He was smart enough to sleep on rocky escarpments so that lions and other wild animals couldn’t get to him,” he said.

“Villagers helped with the search operations, including playing drums, hoping that the boy could hear them and follow the sound to them,” added the MP. But ultimately, Tinotenda Pundu was only found when rangers moved deeper into the park in search of him.

Matusadona National Park, located near Lake Kariba, is home to many wild animals, particularly lions, leopards, elephants and buffalo, the park's website states.

With AFP.

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