HARARE
–
An
8-year-old
boy
who
went
missing
from
his
rural
Kariba
home
was
finally
located
safe
by
rangers
after
wandering
alone
for
five
days
in
wildlife
infested
Matusadonha
Game
Park
in
Mashonaland
West.
Tinotenda
Pudu
wandered
away,
lost
direction
and
unknowingly
headed
into
the
perilous
Matusadonha
Game
Park,
according
to
Mashonaland
West
Proportional
Representation
MP,
Mutsa
Murombedzi
who
succinctly
captured
the
horror
in
a
social
media
post
on
her
X
handle.
“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
and
unknowingly
headed
into
the
perilous
Matusadonha
game
park,”
she
said.
“After
5
long,
harrowing
days
in
the
jungle
near
Hogwe
River,
which
feeds
into
Ume
River,
the
boy
has
been
found
alive
by
the
incredible
rangers
from
Matusadona
Africa
Parks.
“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
8-year-old.”
Tinotenda
Pudu
got
lost
and
for
5
days,
he
wandered
alone
in
a
lion-infested
jungle
Added
the
legislator,
“We
are
overwhelmed
with
gratitude
to
the
brave
park
rangers,
the
tireless
Nyaminyami
community
who
beat
night
drums
each
day
to
get
the
boy
hear
sound
and
get
the
direction
back
home
and
everyone
who
joined
the
search.
“Above
all,
we
thank
God
for
watching
over
Tinotenda
and
leading
him
back
home
safely.
This
is
a
testament
to
the
power
of
unity,
hope,
prayer
and
never
giving
up.”
Tonotenda,
according
to
the
MP,
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
riverbank
and
use
hands
and
a
stick
to
dig
a
Mukàla
in
Tonga
or
what
we
call
Mufuku
in
Shona
and
drank
water
from
there.”
Tinotenda
was
reportedly
very
frail
when
he
was
rescued
and
had
to
be
put
on
a
drip
to
regain
his
strength.
“On
water
what
saved
him
is
the
technique
learnt
from
a
young
age
in
dry
and
drought
prone
areas
of
drawing
water
from
a
dry
riverbank
–
digging
a
mufuku,”
Murombedzi
said.
While
in
the
jungle,
Tinotenda
reportedly
heard
a
park
rangers
vehicle
and
tried
to
run
towards
the
sound
but
was
late
only
to
see
vehicle
markings
in
the
off
the
beaten
path
in
the
game
park.
He
then
went
back
to
the
rocky
outcrop
but
luckily
when
the
park
rangers
used
the
same
path
on
their
return,
they
saw
fresh
little
human
footprints
and
scoured
the
area
and
found
him.
“This
was
probably
his
last
chance
of
being
rescued
after
5
days
in
the
wilderness,”
Murombedzi
said.