7-year-old ended up alone in 'lion-infested' African game park after losing direction—5 days later, 'little' clue helped save him

A 7-year-old boy, Tinotenda Pudu, from Zimbabwe, went missing on December 27, 2025, according to CNN. A frantic search was conducted to locate the boy and on December 30, a clue was found that he was in the Matusadona National Park. The place containing lions and wildlife seemed to be a tale of horror for those on the lookout for the boy. However, after a 5-day rescue, he was found safe, thanks to an important clue. Spokesperson Tinashe Farawo (@FarawoTinashe) for Zimbabwe Parks, the country’s parks and wildlife management authority, revealed how the team managed to find him in a post on X.

Mutsa Murombedzi (@mutsamu), a member of parliament for the Mashonaland West region, also shared a post on X, calling the entire situation a miracle. He mentioned that the boy “wandered away, lost direction and unknowingly headed” to the park. He wandered around 23 kilometers away from home and ended up in an area no one would want their child to be in. Calling it a “lion-infested” area, together with elephants and unexpected terrain to venture into, it was frightening to think that the boy was all alone in the “unforgiving wild.” The park rangers, community members and the Zimbabwe Republic Police carried out a search operation to rescue the boy. 

They began their serious search for the boy and looked relentlessly day after day. Despite the heavy rainfall in the region, they did their best to look for clues. The 7-year-old reportedly heard the vehicles and tried to approach them, but by the time he got there, they had gone ahead in search of him. Among their lookout, the officials decided to go back on their previous route and were able to spot a clue — “fresh little human footprints.” The rangers left no stone unturned to carefully find any other traces and heavily searched the area. After nearly a day of spotting the footprints, they finally found the boy alive during the early hours of the next day.

Assessing the situation, it was revealed that Pudu reportedly walked “through the harsh terrain of the lion-infested Matusadonha National Park for 49 kilometers from his village to the point where he was found.” It is believed that during the 5 days he was missing, he survived by eating fruits and accessing fresh water from underground. In an update from Murombedzi, it was shared that the boy was medically checked and was doing fine. The authorities ensured that he received all the necessary attention to recover from his distressing venture. The spokesperson commended the people involved in the search. 

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude to the brave park rangers, the tireless Nyaminyami community who beat night drums each day to get the boy to hear sound and get the direction back home and everyone who joined the search,” Murombedzi wrote. The rangers spotted the clue and acted immediately and that gravely helped trace the boy’s whereabouts in due time. One cannot fathom the consequences had he not been reduced. Calling it a miracle, he added, “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.”