An eight-year-old boy, Tinotenda Pudu, lost his way and wandered 23 kilometres into the Matusadona Game Park, which is home to about 40 lions. But, the boy somehow managed to survive in the wild for five days in the jungle near the Hogwe River in northern Zimbabwe.
Matusadona game park has about 40 lions now and once had the highest lion population densities in Africa, BBC reported citing African Parks. The park is over 1,470 sq km (570 sq miles) and is home to zebras, elephants, lions, hippos, and antelope.
According to Mashonaland West MP Mutsa Murombedzi, the boy spent five days in the “perilous” game park inhabited with lions and elephants, “sleeping on a rocky perch, amidst roaring lions, passing elephants, and eating wild fruits”, she stated in a post on X.
The boy managed to stay alive by utlising his knowledge of the wild and survival skills. He identified wild fruit called Nchoomva in Tonga in the park and survived for five days on them. According to the parliamentarian, the child even dug small wells into dry riverbeds using a stick for drinking water. This skill is usually taught in the drought-prone areas to draw water from a dry river bank.
The local Nyaminyami community had launched a search party with people going to search for the child beating drums each day in a bid to guide him on his way back home. The community lives in rural Kariba, a remote area where one wrong turn can lead someone into the wild. However, Pudu was finally found by the park rangers, who spotted “fresh little human footprints” during their search.
Pudu had heard a ranger’s car and ran towards it for help. But he missed it narrowly and found only the vehicle’s tyre narkings by the time he reached there. However, when the rangers returned to the same path, they found the footprints and started a search in the area, ultimately finding him on the fifth day.
“This was probably his last chance of being rescued after 5 days in the wilderness,” said the MP.
People across social media have been lauding the boy for his resilience and survival instincts. A person wrote on X, “This is beyond human comprehension”.
Another user wrote: “He’s going to have one hell of a story to tell when he gets back to school.”
The Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority also confirmed the incident to the news agency, but has not shared any further details.
