A man who got lost in the Amazon forest for nine days claims he survive with the help from wild monkeys.
The Chilean tourist, identified as Maykool Coroseo Acuña, started wandering away from his Max Adventures tour group at Madidi National Park. Fox News said he was supposed to join the group to participate in a traditional ceremony that gives thanks to Pachamama, Mother Earth, for allowing them to visit the forest.
In a report from AOL, Feizar Nava, owner of the tour company, said Acuña had been "acting a little bit strange" before he disappeared. Nava and other locals believed he had offended Mother Earth and so in return, he was lost.
After realizing he was gone, search immediately took place. After nine days, he was found dehydrated and with insect bites.
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National Geographic made a detailed report about the incident.
Writer Elizabeth Unger said after rangers have found Maykool, they listened to his story. According to him, he could not find his way back. He thought he could not survive, but he was guided by a group of monkeys who "dropped him fruit and lead him to shelter and water every day."
So what made him break away from the group?
Maykool said he did not know either. But the night he disappeared, there was an urge to run deep in the forest.
"I started running," he said. "I was wearing sandals and I said no, they would slow me down. I threw away the sandals, then the cell phone and my flashlight. And after running so much, I stopped under a tree and I started thinking. What had I done, what was I doing? And when I wanted to get back it wasn't possible."
Ungers said there hadn't been a single forest visitor gone missing over the last fifteen years.
According to the report, locals believe that the lowland in Bolivia is full of mystery and that in that mystical area, mischievous sprite called Duende resides. Any chance that you offend Pachamama, she will call on the Duende to hide you in another dimension. The belief is so strong that even law enforcement recognizes them.
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