Boy survives 8 days in the bush
2009-08-25 12:51



Johannesburg - A 12-year-old Mozambican boy has survived eight days with wild animals in the Kruger Park bush in Limpopo, The Daily Sun reported on Tuesday.

"I got lost and never thought anyone would find me alive. I did not know where I was or where to go... when the sun went down on the first day I sat next to an anthill to keep warm," said Alex Mboweni.

Mboweni and his family were trying to illegally cross into South Africa from Mozambique when they were spotted by the Limpopo police.
They ran in different directions and his mother was caught and sent to Saselamani police station in Limpopo.

Later Mboweni's father went to the police station and told the police his son was missing in the bush.

"I was really scared at night... I heard lions roar and other animals making noises... I was thirsty but I couldn't see any water for two days," said Mboweni.

On the third day, Mboweni came across a river where he shared water with wild animals.

"As I was drinking the water a huge elephant came charging up to me so I ran away... I went to the river once a day to drink some water but I felt weaker and weaker," he said.

On the eighth day, Mboweni was too weak to walk when he heard his mother's voice calling from a distance. "It was real it was my mother calling."

Police told the Daily Sun newspaper that when they discovered Alex was missing they went with his parents to search for him.

Alex's mother climbed on top of a hill and called Alex's name. She called five times and on the sixth Alex appeared.

Alex was taken to hospital for a week to recover from the ordeal.



- SAPA

An ongoing occurence. One of my best trackers was from Moz, had crossed Kruger with his siblings, been split up in the crossing, and fortunately he found them a few months later in South Africa, all safe. However, one of his friends wasn't so lucky and ended up as lion scat.