An eight-year-old boy survived a five-day ordeal in Zimbabwe's Matusadona Game Park, a vast reserve teeming with lions, elephants and other animals. Tinotenda Pudu wandered 23 kilometres from his home in the remote Kasvisva community near Nyaminyami in rural Kariba and unknowingly headed towards the dangerous game park.
According to Mutsa Murombedzi, a member of parliament from Mashonaland West, the boy lost his way and ventured into the park, known for its wildlife. “His ordeal, wandering 23km from home, sleeping on a rocky perch, amidst roaring lions, passing elephants, eating wild fruits and just the unforgiving wild is too much for an 8year,” Murombedzi posted on X (formerly Twitter), adding this was a “true miracle.”
???? A boy missing & found in Matusadonha game park
— Mutsa Murombedzi MP???????? (@mutsamu) January 1, 2025
A true miracle in remote Kasvisva community, Nyaminyami in rural Kariba, a community where one wrong turn could easily lead into a game park. 8-year-old Tinotenda Pudu wandered away, lost direction & unknowingly headed into the… pic.twitter.com/z19BLffTZW
Tinotenda survived using his knowledge of the wild, relying on survival skills he learnt in the drought-prone region. He ate wild fruits and dug small wells in dry riverbeds with a stick to find drinking water. During the days in the wilderness, the local Nyaminyami community mobilised a search party, beating drums each night in an attempt to guide him back home. But it was park rangers from Matusadona Africa Parks who ultimately found him.
He survived on eating a wild fruit called Nchoomva in Tonga. It is Tsvanzva like or its actually the Tsvanzva. Then water he would go on the dry river bank and use hands and a stick to dig a Mukàla in Tonga or what we call Mufuku in shona and drank water from there. He was very…
— Mutsa Murombedzi MP???????? (@mutsamu) January 1, 2025
On the fifth day, Tinotenda heard the sound of a ranger's car and ran towards it, narrowly missing it. However, the rangers returned to the area and noticed fresh human footprints. They continued their search and, after hours of looking, found him. “This was probably his last chance of being rescued after 5 days in the wilderness,” Murombedzi added in a separate post on X.
And so what happened was he then heard a park rangers vehicle and tried to run towards the noise but was late only to see vehicle markings in the off the beaten path in the game park. Then he went back to the rocky outcrop but luckily the park rangers when they were coming back…
— Mutsa Murombedzi MP???????? (@mutsamu) January 1, 2025
The survival story has been praised across social media, with many applauding the boy's resilience.
“That's incredible. I was in that game park last July and we saw a pride of 8 lions. It's scary. Scariest lions in the country. God is good,” one user wrote.
That's incredible. I was in that game park last July and we saw a pride of 8 lions. It's scary. Scariest lions in the country. God is good
— Chipo Dendere (@drDendere) January 1, 2025
Another remarked, “If I was a movie director, this boy's story would make me millions, trust me. It's a real-life tale worth the salt.”
If I was a movie director,this boys story would make me millions trust me.Its a real life tale worth the salt
— Amidu Saidi (@AmiduSaidi) January 2, 2025
According to a report in BBC, the Matusadona Game Park spans over 1,470 sq.km and is home to a variety of animals including lions, elephants, zebras and hippos.
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