The police in the Oshikoto region and members of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism have found the boy (12) who went missing for five days in the Etosha National Park.

The boy reportedly went missing from the Ekume area on 23 February and was found on 28 February.

According to acting regional commander deputy commissioner James Nandapo, the boy was found at around 05h00.

Nandapo says Salom Shangula and his grandmother, together with others, were busy harvesting mopane worms.

"After a while, he was called, but did not respond and the grandmother thought he went to the others," he says.

When they realised Shangula was not among them, they started looking for him where he was last seen, but did not find him.

"They started questioning people who were there, but nobody spotted him, and they kept searching until sunset," Nandapo says.

They then notified the ministry officials alongside the fence of the park, and they too, with police officers deployed in the park, assisted in the search, but to no avail.

Shangula was found on 28 February and reunited with his family.

He survived on water only and hid in the bushes, Nandapo says.