A 30-year-old Bolivian man has defied the odds by surviving 31 days in the Amazon with nothing but a shotgun and a single cartridge. (We can’t wait for this to be turned into a Netflix series.)
On January 25, 2023, Jhonattan Acosta was hunting with four friends when he was separated from his group, reports the BBC. How did he endure almost a month in the rugged expanse of the world’s largest and densest rainforest? Frankly, his sheer badassery.
Acosta reportedly collected rainwater in his boots and ate insects and worms to survive. He also harvested a fruit called “gargetas” when it was available. Acosta later told his family members that he hid from jaguars and encountered other animals, such as anteaters and alligators. As for the single bullet we mentioned? He used it to scare off a group of peccaries—hoglike mammals that travels in herds of up to 50. (If you’ve ever encountered a peccary, you know how terrifying wild pigs can be.)
While we’re in awe of Acosta’s perseverance, we should note that he told a Spanish newspaper, La Vanguardia, that the entire month was a “nightmare.”
Fortunately, Acosta’s friends and family never gave up hope. On February 25, a search party found him. Acosta had lost 37 pounds, sustained wounds to his feet and face and dislocated his ankle. After being reunited with his family and hospitalized, Acosta was briefly interviewed about the experience.
“It’s incredible; I can’t believe people kept up the search for so long,” Acosta said through tears to Unitel TV. “I thank God profusely because he has given me a new life.” So, what’s next? According to his brother, Horacio Acosta, Jhonattan will give up hunting and play more guitar. We don’t blame him.
