Astonishing Survival: Bolivian Man Endures 31 Days in Amazon Jungle on Worm Diet
A Bolivian man, Jhonattan Acosta, has recounted his incredible story of survival after being lost for 31 days in the Amazon jungle.
Acosta, 30, got separated from his four friends during a hunting trip in northern Bolivia. To stay alive, he drank rainwater collected in his shoes and ate worms, insects, and wild fruits known locally as gargateas, all while hiding from jaguars and peccaries, a type of pig-like mammal.
A month after his disappearance, a search party made up of locals and friends found Acosta. Overwhelmed with emotion, he said, “It’s incredible, I can’t believe people kept up the search for so long.”
In an interview with Unitel TV, Acosta shared his harrowing experience: “I ate worms, I ate insects. You wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive all this time. I thank God profusely because He has given me a new life.”
His family is gradually learning the details of his ordeal, as Acosta is still psychologically recovering. He lost 17kg (37lb), had a dislocated ankle, and was dehydrated when found, but he was able to walk with a limp.
“On the fourth day, when he dislocated his ankle, he started fearing for his life,” his younger brother, Horacio Acosta, told Bolivia’s Página Siete newspaper. “He only had one cartridge in his shotgun and couldn’t walk, and he thought no one would be looking for him anymore.”
Without a machete or flashlight, Acosta had to rely on his boots to collect rainwater. He also had encounters with wild animals, including a jaguar. He used his last shotgun cartridge to scare off a herd of peccaries.
After 31 days, Acosta spotted a search party about 300 meters (980 feet) away. Limping through thorny bushes, he shouted to draw their attention. Four locals found him and brought the miraculous news to his family. “A man came running to tell us they’d found my brother. It’s a miracle,” Horacio said.
Following his ordeal, Jhonattan Acosta has decided to give up hunting for good. “He is going to play music to praise God. He promised God that, and I think he will keep his promise,” his brother added.
Meanwhile, police plan to question the four friends Acosta was with to understand how they became separated.
