After five "long (and) harrowing days" in the jungle near the Hogwe River, which feeds into Ume River, park rangers found the boy alive on Dec. 31, Murombedzi and park officials said. While lost in the park, the boy slept on a rocky perch, evaded lions, passed elephants and ate wild fruits, according to Murombedzi.

An unimaginable story of survival has emerged from Zimbabwe, where an 8-year-old boy, Tinotenda Pudu, defied the odds after spending five grueling days in the predator-laden wilderness of Matusadona National Park.