A missing young man was found alive after spending five days alone in a game park full of wild animals in northern Zimbabwe, according to a member of the country’s parliament.
Mutsa Murombedzi shared the news of the “true miracle” on Wednesday on X.
According to Murombedzi, 8-year-old Tinotenda Pudu wandered 23 kilometers (14 miles) from his home, got lost and “unknowingly headed to the dangerous Matusadonha game park.” She described the area where the boy is from as “a community where a wrong turn could easily lead to a playground.”
The boy was missing for five days in the jungle near the Hogwe River, Murombedzi said, where he slept in a rocky position “among roaring lions and passing elephants” and ate wild fruits to survive.
He said members of the local Nyaminyami community played drums every day to try to guide the boy back home.
But it was Matusadona Africa Parks rangers who finally found the boy, according to Murombedzi.
In a separate statement shared on Friday, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) confirmed the rescue but said the boy was 7 years old and had wandered 49 kilometers (30 miles) from his village “through the “hard terrain of the lion.” hunting park “infested” up to the point where it was located.
ZimParks said the boy went missing on December 27 and a search operation began immediately after receiving the report of his disappearance.
The agency said it ran into problems during the search mission because heavy rains were erasing the boy’s tracks.
On December 30, ZimParks said footprints were located in the Sakata Valley area of ​​Matusadona National Park. They found the boy the next day.
ZimParks said the boy was taken first to a local clinic and then to a hospital for a medical evaluation after the ordeal.
Murombedzi shared an update on the boy’s condition on Saturday. He said medical officials told him the boy has rested and is stable, but is awaiting an evaluation from a mental health team to ensure he does not suffer lasting trauma.
“Above all, we thank God for watching over Tinotenda and bringing him home safely,” Murombedzi said in his post on Wednesday. “This is a testament to the power of unity, hope, prayer and never giving up.”
