An eight-year-old boy has been miraculously found alive after enduring five days in the Matusadona Game Park, a dangerous wildlife reserve in northern Zimbabwe, home to lions and elephants, a local MP reported.

Tinotenda Pudu, the young survivor, wandered 23 km (14 miles) from his home into the park, described as "perilous" by Mashonaland West MP Mutsa Murombedzi on X (formerly Twitter). During his ordeal, he slept on rocky outcrops, surrounded by roaring lions and roaming elephants, sustaining himself on wild fruits.

Matusadona Game Park, spanning 1,470 sq km (570 sq miles), is home to approximately 40 lions, once boasting one of the highest lion population densities in Africa, according to African Parks.

Tinotenda's survival was attributed to his remarkable knowledge of the wild. In addition to foraging for wild fruits, he dug shallow wells in dry riverbeds using a stick to access drinking water—a skill vital in the drought-prone region.

The local Nyaminyami community initiated a search, using drums daily to guide the boy back home. Ultimately, park rangers located Tinotenda after spotting fresh footprints on the fifth day. The boy ran toward a ranger’s car after hearing its engine, barely missing it, but the rangers retraced their route and found him.

“This was likely his last chance at being rescued,” MP Murombedzi noted.

Tinotenda’s incredible resilience has sparked widespread admiration on social media. One user remarked, “This is beyond human comprehension,” while another said, “He’ll have an extraordinary story to share at school.”