Jakarta – An eight-year-old boy has been found alive after surviving for five days in a wildlife park inhabited by lions and elephants in northern Zimbabwe.
According to the BBC on Monday (January 6, 2025), Mutsa Murombedzi, a Member of Parliament from Mashonaland West constituency, said the ordeal began when Tinotenda Pudu walked 23 kilometers from his home to the perilous Matusadona Game Park.
“He spent five days sleeping on rocky outcrops amidst roaring lions and wandering elephants, surviving on wild fruits,” said Murombedzi.
The Matusadona Wildlife Park is home to about 40 lions. According to African Parks, the park once had one of the highest lion population densities in Africa.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority confirmed the incident but provided no further details.
Murombedzi stated that Tinotenda used his knowledge of the wild and survival skills to stay alive. He survived by eating wild fruits and digging small wells in dry riverbeds with sticks to find drinking water—skills learned in drought-prone areas.
Local Nyaminyami community members launched a search party, beating drums daily to guide him back home. Eventually, national park rangers located the boy.
“On the fifth day in the wild, Tinotenda heard the sound of the rangers’ vehicle and ran towards it, narrowly missing their attention,” said the MP.
Fortunately, the rangers returned, spotted fresh human footprints, and searched the area until they found him.
“This was likely his last chance to be rescued after five days in the wilderness,” said the MP.
The national park spans over 1,470 square kilometers and is home to zebras, elephants, hippos, lions, and antelopes. On social media, many praised the boy for his resilience.
“This is beyond human comprehension,” one person wrote on X.
“He will have an incredible story to tell when he returns to school,” another user added.
