Lost boy survives five days in Zimbabwe park teeming with lions

A seven-year-old boy was found alive after being lost for five days in a reserve home to lions and other wild animals in northern Zimbabwe, the wildlife authority said Friday.

The boy wandered into the Matusadona National Park next to his village on December 27 and was found five days later and about 50 kilometres (about 30 miles) away, ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said.

He had survived on wild fruit and water that he found by digging into a river bank, a technique known in Zimbabwe's drought-prone areas, Farawo said in a statement.

"Remarkably, it is estimated that he walked through the harsh terrain of the lion-infested Matusadona National Park for 49 kilometres from his village to the point where he was found," Farawo said.

Rangers, locals and police launched a search for the child immediately after hearing that he was missing but their efforts were hindered by heavy rain. His footprints were spotted on December 30 and the boy, Tinotenda Pundu, was found early the following day, he said.

The child was admitted to hospital and was frail but had no visible injuries, said lawmaker Mutsa Murombedzi, who is from the area. "It was a miracle that he survived," she told AFP.

"He was clever enough to... sleep on perched rocks so that lions and other wildlife could not get to him," she said.

"Villagers helped with the search, playing drums hoping that he would follow the sound," the MP said. But he was only found with the help of rangers who were able to go deeper into the wilderness to look for him.

The Matusadona National Park, near Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba, is home to a range of wild animals including lions, leopards, elephants and buffalo, according to its website.