Zimbabwean Boy Survives Five Days in Lion-Dense National Park

Seven-year-old Tinotenda Pudu used survival skills to endure harsh wilderness conditions before being rescued 49 kilometers from his village.

Tinotenda Pudu, 7, went missing on December 27, 2024, after wandering away from his rural village in northern Zimbabwe.
He survived in Matusadona National Park, an area known for its high density of lions, by eating wild fruit and digging for underground water using sticks.
Park rangers, local police, and community members conducted a five-day search, hampered by heavy rainfall that obscured his tracks.
Footprints discovered on December 30 led rescuers to Pudu, who was found weak but alive on December 31 after traveling an estimated 49 kilometers.
The boy is now in stable condition, receiving medical care and undergoing mental health evaluations to assess potential trauma from the ordeal.