Miraculous story of how four children lost in Amazon jungle for 40 days survived

A story of four children who got lost in the Colombian Amazon jungle for 40 days has caught the attention of the world.

The kids aged one to 13 are survivors of a plane crash which killed their mother and left them wandering alone in the Amazon rainforest.

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Miraculously, they were able to survive on their own for the 40 days they were trapped in the jungle. In fact, when they were found and rescued by Colombian military after an enormous search, the children were not hurt.

Report has it that they only suffered insect bites, dehydration and malnourishment.

What made their survival surprising is that the Amazon rainforest is home to all kinds of dangerous wildlife, including jaguars, pumas, snakes and other predators, as well as armed groups that smuggle drugs and terrorize local populations.

Lesly, 13, Soleiny, 9, Tien Noriel, 4, and baby Cristin, who celebrated his first birthday while lost in the rainforest, are from the Huitoto Indigenous community and will have used a range of survival skills to stay alive.

The first signs which hinted that the siblings were alive were small pieces of fruit left near the plane wreckage. The partially eaten fruit told searchers that human life had been nearby recently.

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The fact that the children’s bodies weren’t found near the plane also offered hope that they might have survived the crash, prompting an enormous search and rescue effort.

The children, who are members of the Huitoto indigenous group, were reportedly able to survive because they were taught jungle skills from birth.

Their grandfather, Fidencio Valencia, had said the children are well acquainted with the jungle, as they have been taught to hunt and fish since they were small.

Members of the indigenous community allegedly held traditional ceremonies ‘speaking to the jungle’ and asking it to give up the children during the desperate search.

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Part of the clues that lead to the children’s discovery were a baby’s bottle, a hair band and a pair of scissors seen on the jungle floor.

Three helicopters and sniffer dogs were deployed to join the search. Rescuers’ efforts yield result on Friday when one of the rescue dogs who had been on their scent led soldiers to them.

The plane crash happened in Solano, Caqueta in May 1. The aircraft’s wreckage was discovered on May 16.