An 8-year-old boy who got lost in the dangerous Matopos National Park, filled with lions and elephants in northern Zimbabwe, was found five days later.
According to British media, 8-year-old Tino Tenda Padu wandered off and ended up about 23 kilometers away from his home, deep into the treacherous jungle.
Local Member of Parliament Mottsa Morombidzi stated that the boy survived for five days by sleeping on rocks, eating wild fruits to stave off hunger, and listening to the roars of lions and the passing elephants.
Matopos National Park is home to nearly 40 lions, and in the past, it has been one of the areas with the highest lion population in Africa.
The MP added that the boy used survival skills taught in his area to stay alive, eating wild fruits when hungry and digging dry riverbeds to get water.
A local search team was formed to look for the boy, and they attempted to call him back by beating drums every day. Eventually, park rangers discovered the boy. On the fifth day of his disappearance, the boy heard the sound of the rangers’ vehicle and ran towards it but couldn’t reach it in time. Fortunately, when the rangers returned, they noticed fresh footprints and followed them, eventually finding the boy.
