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Boy who spent 5 days in game park to be temporarily moved
“As part of their recommendations, the team has decided to temporarily move Tinotenda and his mother away from their home for a few days to provide them with a safer & calmer environment to prevent people from disturbing the recovery process
Mash West MP, Hon. Mutsa Murombedzi, who brought the story of 8year old, Tinotenda Pudu, who spent 5 days in the lion infested Matusadonha gamepark has given an update on the well being of the minor.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Murombedzi says the boy and his mother will be moved after a mental health assessment that.
From the update she got from the Provincial Medical Director, Pudu’s disappearance has affected not only him but his family hence the need to relocate them temporarily.
“Today 08Jan 2025, the Mashonaland West Provincial Medical Director called me with an update & had a discussion regarding Tinotenda’s situation. The mental health team has visited the boy down in the Zambezi Valley, and begun their assessments. It has become clear that his disappearance and harrowing ordeal & encounter with big game animals in Matusadona game park, deep in the Zambezi Valley has deeply affected not only him but also his family,” she posted on X.
“As part of their recommendations, the team has decided to temporarily move Tinotenda and his mother away from their home for a few days to provide them with a safer & calmer environment to prevent people from disturbing the recovery process,” she added.
When they return to their community mental health team will be stationed in the Zambezi Valley for additional support for not less than a week.
“Additionally, the mental health team will return and be stationed in the community for not less than seven days to continue providing support and monitoring the boy’s & family progress,” said Murombedzi.
Murombedzi added that when schools reopen, the mental health assessors are hoping to convinve everyone to shy away from the topic to help the boy recover.
“With schools reopening soon, they will also engage the school authorities to ensure that when Tinotenda comes back to school, no interviews or discussions take place that might retraumatize him.The mental health team still strongly advises against any conducting any interviews at this stage as it may trigger emotional distress for Tinotenda,” she said.
