7-year-old boy found alive after five days missing in Zimbabwe's lion-filled Matusadona National Park

A boy in Zimbabwe has been rescued from a national park full of lions after being lost for five days.

Tinutenda Pudu, 7, went missing from her village in northwestern Zimbabwe on December 27. He was eventually found in Matusaduna National Park after a rescue operation involving park rangers, police and the local community, according to a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Department.

The search for the little boy was met with heavy rain in the northern region, which made it difficult for park rangers to find his tracks.

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

Mutsa Murumbedzi, Member of Parliament for Mashonaland West, where the national park is located, described his rescue as a "true miracle", writing in a post on Platform X.

He said the child "had gone aimlessly, lost his way and unknowingly went to the Matosadona playground where there were many dangers."

According to the MP, at one point Tinutenda heard the sound of park guard cars and tried to run towards their sound and reach them, but he reached them too late. Fortunately, the guards returned to the area and saw "a small fresh human footprint" that led them to the boy.

"This was probably his last chance for salvation after five days in the desert," Murombedzi wrote.

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

Tinutenda is estimated to have traveled 49 kilometers (about 30 miles) through the milky fields in five days, using wild fruits and underground water to survive.

"He is believed to have walked 49 kilometers from his village to the point where he was found, through the harsh terrain of Matusaduna National Park, which was full of lions," according to Zimbabwe Parks.

"During this time, he fed on wild fruits and to drink water in a dry valley, he dug a small hole to access the underground water, a practice known in arid regions."

After being rescued, Tinutenda was taken to a local clinic for initial examinations and then to the hospital for further medical evaluations.

According to an update posted by the MP on his post, the young man is resting and in stable condition. He is to be assessed by a mental health team to ensure he has not suffered permanent psychological damage as a result of the incident.

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