The young boy ate wild fruit and dug small wells in dry river banks to find drinking water in Zimbabwe.

An eight-year-old boy has been found alive after surviving five days in a game park inhabited by lions and elephants in northern Zimbabwe, according to a member of parliament.

The ordeal began when Tinotenda Pudu wandered 23 km (14 miles) from home into the “perilous” Matusadona Game Park, said Mashonaland West MP Mutsa Murombedzi on X.

He spent five days “sleeping on a rocky perch, amidst roaring lions, passing elephants, eating wild fruits”, she said.

Matusadona game park has about 40 lions. At one point, it had one of the highest lion population densities in Africa, according to African Parks.

The Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority confirmed the incident to the BBC but did not share any further details.

Murombedzi said the boy used his knowledge of the wild and survival skills to stay alive.

    • Flying SquidMEnglish
      12•6 days ago

      He told his mom, “either I get a PS5 or I go sleep with the lions.”

      Now he’s getting the PS5.

        • Flying SquidMEnglish
          5•5 days ago

          It might possibly be that I wasn’t serious.

            • Flying SquidMEnglish
              2•5 days ago

              I mean if you want to be serious about it, we have no idea of his family’s economic situation and they could be amongst the minority that could afford it.