Boy, 7, found alive in 'lion-infested' Zimbabwe game park after going missing for five days

A frayed Zimbabwean flag flies in the country's second largest city, Bulawayo, on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel)

A young boy in Zimbabwe was rescued from a “lion-infested” national park after going missing for five days.

Tinotenda Pudu, 7, went missing from his village in the northwest of the country on December 27. He was eventually found in the Matusadona National Park after a rescue mission involving park rangers, police and the local community, according to a spokesperson from Zimbabwe Parks, the country’s parks and wildlife management authority.

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The search for the little boy was impeded by heavy rainfall in the northern region, which made it difficult for rangers to spot his footprints.

On December 30, footprints were discovered in an area of the park and Tinotenda was found in the early hours of the next day.

Mutsa Murombedzi, member of parliament for the Mashonaland West region, which includes the national park, described the rescue as a “true miracle” in a post on X.

She said the child had “wandered away, lost direction, and unknowingly headed into the perilous Matusadonha Game Park.”

According to the MP, Tinotenda at one point heard the park rangers’ vehicle and tried to run toward the noise – but was late to reach them. Fortunately, the rangers came back to the area and saw “fresh little human footprints,” which led them to the boy.

“This was probably his last chance of being rescued after 5 days in the wilderness,” Murombedzi wrote.

The national park once had the highest density of lions in Africa, according to the non-profit African Parks, and is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including elephants, zebras, hippos, lions and buffalo.

Tinotenda is thought to have walked through 49 kilometres (around 30 miles) of lion-infested terrain during his five-day ordeal, surviving on wild fruit and ground water.

“It is estimated that he walked through the harsh terrain of the lion infested Matusadonha National Park for 49 kilometers from his village to the point where he was found,” Zimbabwe Parks said in a statement.

“During this period, he survived on wild fruits and would dig a small hole along the dry riverbank to access underground water to drink, a technique that is well known in drought prone areas.”

Tinotenda was taken to a local clinic for preliminary examinations following the rescue and was later moved to a hospital for further medical evaluation.

According to an update posted by the MP, the young boy has rested and is in stable condition. He is set to be assessed by a mental health team to ensure he has not suffered any lasting trauma as a result of his ordeal, she added.