Missing Russian Toddler Miraculously Rescued After Spending Three Days In The Cold Taiga Wilderness

Rescuers from the Piy-Khemsky district located in the Tuva Republic, a province in Russia, have rescued a 3-year-old toddler who was lost in the Siberian wilderness for over three days. The little boy, identified as Tserin Dopchut, had reportedly wandered into the woods located in the cold, desolate Taiga region of Russia on Friday and was untraceable for three days, according to a Siberian Times report.

He was, however, miraculously found on the third day, much to the relief of his parents and hundreds of rescuers who were trying their best to trace the lost toddler. What makes Dopchut’s rescue even more remarkable is the fact that he was lost in a region known to harbor a large population of wolves and bears. Interestingly, the toddler was found perfectly fine and had no visible signs of stress or panic even after being out in the wilderness for three days. The first thing the toddler reportedly asked for after being rescued was his for favorite toy car.

Tserin Dopchut was under the supervision of his great-grandmother at her home on the day he went missing. According to her, the toddler was playing with the family dogs and wandered off into the woods without her noticing. Within hours, authorities launched a large search operation involving hundreds of people. The village from which the toddler had vanished itself had a total population of 400 people and is known as Khut. According to his great-grandmother, the toddler was not wearing a coat or a protective jacket and was only wearing light clothing and a shoe at the time of his disappearance. He only had a small bar of chocolate with him. The elderly woman also added that the toddler might have followed a puppy.

Lost toddler survives three days in Siberian taiga alone
> > https://t.co/uzKmnAuucL pic.twitter.com/QkxwrfI5i5

— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 23, 2016

Meanwhile, the search operation with more than 100 people scanned an area spanning 120 square kilometers. A helicopter was also used to look for the lost toddler. Nearly three days into the search, authorities were losing hope of finding the toddler alive. However, on the third day, more than 72 hours since he had gone missing, Tserin Dopchut was found not very far from where he went missing.

The announcement about the toddler’s discovery was made by Sholban Kara-Ool, the head of the Tuva republic. He was found just three kilometers from his home and was sleeping under a larch tree, where he had made a makeshift bed. The boy was found by his own uncle, who was a part of the search mission. The man was repeatedly calling out the boy’s name, and after one such call, the toddler responded. Once found, the toddler was quickly checked for any injuries but was found to be quite healthy for someone who spent three days in the wilderness.

Lost toddler survives 3 days alone in Siberian taiga https://t.co/o4uO8ja1iK

— ABS-CBN News Channel (@ANCALERTS) September 23, 2016

“Once his uncle hugged him, the little boy asked if his toy car was okay,” quipped a senior official who was part of the search party.

According to Ayas Saryglar, the regional emergencies chief, the child was in a “very dangerous” situation.

“There are wolves, and bears in the forest. The bears are now fattening for the winter. They can attack anything that moves. In addition, it is warm during the day, but at night there are even frosts.”

Meanwhile, the locals were so elated at having found the boy safely, they are throwing a party to celebrate the rescue. The child has even received a new nickname. He is now called Mowgli, after the famous character from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.

“The whole village is throwing a party to celebrate his survival. He was given the second name of Mowgli. It is now predicted he will become a rescuer himself, because he showed incredible stamina for his age by surviving for so long alone in these cold woods.”

[Featured Image by Pixabay]