A 3-year-old-boy got lost for three days in a Siberian forest where bears, wolves, and freezing temperatures are common. The kid was wearing a shirt and shoes and survived with only a chocolate bar he had before getting into the wooded area.
The grandmother of the brave child was taking care of him at the Khut village, located amid dense forestry in the Tuva Republic. The boy apparently started following a puppy when his grandmother got distracted for a few minutes. After that, the three-year-old boy got too deep into the woods and could not find his way back home. Tserin Dopchut disappeared from his grandmother’s sight on Sunday.
Ayas Saryglar, head of Tyvas’s Civil Defense and Emergencies agency, said that the area is warm during the day, and people do not need coats. But during the night there are even frosts, he added.
Saryglar explained the situation was very dangerous because wolves and bears live in the woods. “The bears are now fattening for the winter. They can attack anything that moves.”
Another danger was present in the area: the River Mynas. The latter is fast and cold, and if a small children slipped and fell in it, it would be certain death, Saryglar told the Siberian Times.
After the report of the boy’s disappearance, an enormous land and air search was launched. A day-and-night search operation involved family, villagers, local police officers, and even a helicopter in scouring the vast woodland of about 120 square kilometers.
The child recognized his uncle’s voice between the shouting sounds that said his name. They found the kid three days after the search began. The kid was hugged by his family and after feeling safe, his first question was about his toy car. Tserin wanted to know if his toy was OK.
Rescuers were amazed by the boy’s survival skills. The toddler found a dry place to stay the nights which was under a larch tree. He slept between the roots and survived eating a chocolate bar he had in his pocket.
The Siberian version of The Jungle Book
Regional leader Sholban Kara-Ool was quoted saying there will be a party to celebrate the kid’s survival and the whole village is invited. Tserin Dopchut is now being called Mowgli, according to the Siberian Times.
The three-year-old child, being so young, managed to avoid wolves, bears, the deathly weather and the River Mynas without a scratch, which is similar to what happens to baby Mowgli in The Jungle Book novels.
Tserin was only thirsty and hungry when he was found, but he did not suffer serious injuries from his adventure into the woods. Local papers said it is now predicted that Tserin will become a rescuer after his impressive survival.
Source: BBC News