A seven-year-old boy has miraculously survived five days alone in Matusadona Game Park, a lion-inhabited wildlife reserve in northern Zimbabwe, after wandering 49 km (30 miles) from his home.
Tinotenda Pudu endured his ordeal by eating wild fruits and using survival techniques, including digging small wells into dry riverbeds for drinking water, a skill taught in the drought-prone region.
The harrowing experience began when the boy wandered into the “perilous” game park, home to approximately 40 lions, as well as elephants, zebras, and hippos. Tinotenda slept on rocky outcrops while surrounded by roaring lions and passing elephants, Mashonaland West MP Mutsa Murombedzi shared on social media.
Local Nyaminyami community members formed a search party, beating drums daily in an attempt to guide him back. However, it was park rangers who eventually found him.
On the fifth day, Tinotenda heard the sound of a ranger’s vehicle and ran toward it, narrowly missing it. The rangers later noticed “fresh little human footprints” and followed them until they discovered him, exhausted but alive.
“This was probably his last chance of being rescued after five days in the wilderness,” said MP Murombedzi.
The Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority confirmed the incident, describing it as a testament to the boy’s resilience and knowledge of the wild.
Social media users have hailed Tinotenda as a symbol of courage and survival. “This is beyond human comprehension,” one user wrote, while another added: “He’s going to have one incredible story to tell at school.”
