Minor boy survives five days in lion-inhabited Zimbabwe park
1. Tinotenda Pundu, 7, survived on wild fruit, water that he found by digging into river bank, says wildlife authority
A seven-year-old boy was miraculously found alive after being lost for five days in Zimbabwe's Matusadona National Park, a wildlife reserve home to lions, leopards, and other dangerous animals, the wildlife authority confirmed on Friday.
The boy, Tinotenda Pundu, wandered into the park near his village on December 27 and was discovered five days later, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) away, according to ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo.
He survived by eating wild fruit and drinking water that he dug from the riverbank—a technique commonly used in Zimbabwe's drought-prone areas, Farawo said.
"Remarkably, it's estimated that he walked through the harsh terrain of the lion-infested Matusadona National Park for 49 kilometers from his village to where he was found," Farawo added.
Immediately after learning that the child was missing, rangers, locals, and police launched a search, but their efforts were hampered by heavy rainfall. Tinotenda's footprints were spotted on December 30, and he was found early the next day.
The boy was taken to a hospital and, while frail, had no visible injuries, said Mutsa Murombedzi, a local lawmaker. "It was a miracle that he survived," she told AFP.
"He was clever enough to sleep on perched rocks to avoid lions and other wildlife," she explained.
Villagers assisted in the search by playing drums in hopes that Tinotenda would follow the sound, but it was the rangers who ventured deeper into the wilderness and ultimately located him.
Matusadona National Park, near Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, is home to a variety of wildlife, including lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo, according to the park's website.
