An eight-year-old boy has been found alive after spending five days in a national park inhabited by lions and elephants in northern Zimbabwe.
It’s “a true miracle,” said Mutsa Murombedzi, a member of Zimbabwe’s Parliament, on her X account.
“Tinotenda Pudu, an 8-year-old boy, got lost, lost his way, and unintentionally entered the dangerous Matusadona National Park,” she explained.
The event was also confirmed by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to the BBC, but the government body did not release further information.
Tinotenda Pudu is said to have survived by eating wild fruits and “sleeping on a rocky perch, among roaring lions [et] elephants passing by,” according to the Zimbabwean politician, who notes that this “ordeal” is “far too difficult for an 8-year-old child.”
Search teams, dispatched by members of the local Nyaminyami community, first attempted to locate the boy. Every day, they beat drums to try to attract the child’s attention, but in vain.
It was finally the forest guards who managed, on the fifth day, to spot the boy in the wildlife reserve whose territory extends over more than 1,470 km2.
Tinotenda Pudu heard the forest guards’ car and ran towards it, according to the deputy. However, he would have narrowly missed it.
“It was probably his last chance to be rescued after 5 days in the wild,” Ms Murombedzi said.
Fortunately, the rangers reportedly retraced their route and spotted “small, fresh human footprints,” which allowed them to find the boy.
Several Internet users praised the child’s resilience and resourcefulness.
“This little boy has something great in him,” said an X user. “He’s not an ordinary child… What courage!”
Others have also highlighted the dangers that await people who walk in the national park.
“Five days in Matusadona is incredible!” one man remarked in the comments.
