An eight-year-old boy has been found alive after surviving five days in a game park inhabited by lions and elephants in northern Zimbabwe, according to a member of parliament.
The ordeal began when Tinotenda Pudu wandered 23km (14 miles) from his home in the “dangerous” Matusadona Game Park, Mashonaland West MP Mutsa Murombedzi told X.
He spent five days “sleeping on a rocky perch, among roaring lions, passing elephants, eating wild berries,” she said.
Matusadona Game Park has about 40 lions. At one point, it had one of the highest lion population densities in Africa, according to African parks.
Murombedzi said the boy used his knowledge of wildlife and survival skills to stay alive.
Tinotenda survived his ordeal by eating wild berries. He also dug small wells in dry riverbeds with a stick to access drinking water, a skill taught in the drought-prone area.
Members of the local Nyaminyami community started a search party and beat drums every day to try to guide him back home.
But eventually the park rangers were able to find him.
On his fifth day in the wild, Tinotenda heard a ranger's car and ran toward it, narrowly missing out, the deputy said.
Fortunately, the rangers returned, noticed “fresh small human footprints” and searched the area until they found him.
“This was probably his last chance to be saved after 5 days in the desert,” the MP said.
The park is over 1470 square meters. km (570 sq mi) and is home to zebras, elephants, hippos, lions and antelopes.
On social media, people are praising the youngster for his resilience.
“It is beyond human comprehension,” one person wrote to X.
Another user wrote: “He's going to have one hell of a story to tell when he goes back to school.”