A 7-year-old boy, Tinotenda Pudu, was rescued from the Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe after being missing for five days.
The park was notorious for having the highest density of lions in Africa.
On December 27, 2024, Tinotenda wandered away from his village in the northwest of Zimbabwe.
A massive search operation was launched, involving park rangers, police, and the local community. However, the heavy rainfall in the northern region made it challenging to spot the boy’s footprints.
On December 30, footprints were discovered in an area of the park. Tinotenda was found in the early hours of the next day, exhausted but alive. Mutsa Murombedzi, a member of parliament for the Mashonaland West region, described the rescue as a “true miracle” in a post on X.
According to Murombedzi, Tinotenda had unknowingly headed into the Matusadonha Game Park, where he survived on wild fruit and groundwater for five days.
He walked through 49 kilometers of lion-infested terrain, using techniques learned in drought-prone areas to access underground water.
At one point, he heard the park rangers’ vehicle and tried to run toward the noise but was late to reach them. Fortunately, the rangers returned to the area and spotted “fresh little human footprints,” which led them to the boy.
After his rescue, Tinotenda was taken to a local clinic for preliminary examinations and later moved to a hospital for further medical evaluation. According to an update posted by Murombedzi, the young boy has rested and is in stable condition. He will undergo an assessment by a mental health team to ensure he has not suffered any lasting trauma from his experience.
