Zimbabwe Officials Call Discovery of Boy That Went Missing in a Game Preserve a “True Miracle”
The child wandered 14 miles from his home.
Published Jan. 6 2025, 2:38 p.m. ET
Locals are calling the discovery of a missing child a "true miracle" after the boy was discovered in a northern Zimbabwe preserve. The child had gone missing after wandering to Matusadonha Game Park, which is teeming with lions and other wild animals.
The community had rallied to try and find the missing boy, who is said to have survived by eating wild fruits during his time in the jungle. You can learn all about the child's perilous journey, which began on Dec. 27, 2024, below.
A young boy survived on his own for five days in an African game park.
According to NBC News, the harrowing story of Tinotenda Pudu, the boy who wandered away from his village, began just days after Christmas when he left his home on foot.
His story ended 14 miles away from home in the jungles of the Hogwe River, per NBC News, where he huddled up on a rock to stay safe from what one official called an area full of "roaring lions" and "passing elephants."
"A true miracle in remote Kasvisva community, Nyaminyami in rural Kariba, a community where one wrong turn could easily lead into a game park," Mutsa Murombedzi MP, a parliament member, posted on X, the platform formally known as Twitter.
Murombedzi credits local Matusadona African Park rangers, who had joined the Nyaminyami community in the search, for finding Pudu. He added that the Nyaminyami beat drums every day to try and help the boy find his way home.
Storms prevented the boy from being found quickly.
Mother Nature seemed to play a pivotal role in the search for Pudu, who had initially left a trail of footprints in his wake as he traveled.
USA Today says the trail quickly dried up when heavy rains fell in the region. The water washed the footprints away until Dec. 30, 2024, when officials picked the trail back up again in the park's Sakata Valley region.
After being located, Pudu was taken to a medical facility to be evaluated, according to USA Today. After being given a clean bill of health he was moved to a larger hospital where he will receive additional evaluations, including a mental health screening.