Boy, seven, found alive in 'lion-infested' Zimbabwe game park after going missing for five days

A seven-year-old boy in Zimbabwe was rescued from a national park known to have lions, five days after he went missing. The boy, named Tinotenda Pudu, had disappeared from his village in the northwest of the country on December 27th.

According to a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Tinotenda was eventually found in Matusadona National Park following a joint search and rescue operation by park rangers, police, and the local community. The search was initially hampered by heavy rains in the northern region, which made it difficult for rangers to track his footprints.

Footprints were discovered in an area of the park on December 30th, and Tinotenda was found early the next morning. Mashonaland West Member of Parliament, Mucha Murovezi, posted on social media platform X, calling the rescue a "true miracle." She stated that the child "got lost, disoriented, and unknowingly walked into the dangerous Matusadona wildlife park."

According to the MP, Tinotenda had at one point heard the sound of the park rangers' vehicles and tried to run towards the sound but did not make it in time. Luckily, the rangers returned to the area and discovered “fresh small human footprints,” leading them to the boy. “This was probably his last chance of rescue after spending five days in the wilderness,” Murovezi wrote.

The national park, according to the non-profit African Parks, once had the highest density of lions in Africa and is home to various wildlife, including elephants, zebras, hippos, lions, and buffalo. It is estimated that Tinotenda traversed 49 kilometers of lion-infested terrain during his five-day ordeal, surviving on wild fruits and groundwater. "It is estimated that he traversed 49km of the rugged terrain of Matusadona National Park, a lion-infested area, from the village to where he was found. During this time, he survived on wild fruits and dug a small hole along the dry river banks to access underground water for drinking, a known technique in dry areas," Zimbabwe Parks said in a statement.

After being rescued, Tinotenda was taken to a local clinic for an initial check-up and was then transferred to a hospital for further medical evaluation. According to the latest update from the MP, the young boy is resting and is in stable condition. She added that he will be assessed by a mental health team to ensure that his ordeal has not caused any lasting trauma.