Boy vs.Wild: 10-year-old's unbelievable story of survival

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A real life Man vs. Wild story, which lasted an astonishing 24 days, was reported being staged by a 10-year-old boy from southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

Miu, 10, survived in the wild for 24 days. /Yunnan.cn Photo

On June 29, after getting beaten by his father, a frustrated boy with surname Miu decided to run away from home.

Unlike most runaway children, no one would expect a teen boy’s escape journey lasting nearly a month, until he was found by the local police last Saturday.

Miu having a meal at a police station after being discovered. /Yunnan.cn Photo

“At the beginning I had nothing on my mind. I just wanted to run away from my parents,” Miu told Yunnan.cn on Wednesday.

He said he relied on family remedies for survival.

“In the first few days, it kept rainy and I got a fever,” Miu recounted his experience. “Then I remembered my family boiling dandelion as medicine, so I collected a broken bowl and a lighter to prepare a herbal tea as a medicine.”

Miu during interview with Yunnan.cn. /Yunnan.cn Photo

After recovering from illness, Miu said he made travel plans to head to Chongqing Municipality, which is nearly 500 kilometers away from his hometown.

In his detailed recount recorded by the police, Miu told his unbelievable experiences on the way.

Record detailing Miu's escape experience. /Yunnan.cn Photo

“I slept either on wet leaves in the wilderness or on straws in farmers’ warehouses,” Miu was recorded saying.

The boy also reported that he slept in an abandoned truck that was left on the side of the highway after a traffic accident.

Asked if he was scared, the boy said, “No, I was not afraid and I had a good rest.”

Detailed record of Miu's daily experience. /Yunnan.cn Photo

According to the police, when Miu left home, he had no money or food with him. However, the boy said he survived by picking fruits from trees and buying cheap street food with money he earned selling recyclable materials.

Miu's bag with food inside. /Yunnan.cn Photo

Last Saturday, just as Miu said he was getting used to his journey, a group of police officers on patrol found him.

After learning about the boy’s situation, local police contacted Miu’s father, who traveled overnight to pick up his son.

Miu's father at the police station. /Yunnan.cn Photo

“He went missing for over 20 days,” The boy’s father told Yunnan.cn. “Now I realized my education method is problematic. It was wrong to lash out at my son as a way to educate him.”