The hero oldest sister of four indigenous children who disappeared into the depths of the Amazon rainforest has told how she kept her three brothers alive for 40 days.
Lesly, 13 , looked after boys Soleiny, nine, Tien Noriel, four, and 10-month-old baby Cristin in the Colombian jungle after their plane crashed on May 1. Their mum Magdalena Mucutui Valencia, the pilot and an indigenous leader were all killed when the Cessna light aircraft plummeted on to the forest floor - but the children miraculously survived.
As reported by the Mirror, Columbia gave a sigh of relief on Friday as the anxiety that wracked the country for six weeks came to an end. The Armed Forces confirmed they had found the kids - and although they were starving, dehydrated and covered in insect bites, they were otherwise unharmed.
The world was stunned at how a young group of children could have survived - especially in one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet for so long. Their aunt has now given a clue as to what may have helped the youngsters survive in the jungle against the odds.
Speaking with the local Caracol news network, Damarys Mucutuy said that a "survival game" they used to play must have helped them live through the horror ordeal. Damarys explained how that the two eldest children, Lesly and Soleiny, would play a game in which they would "set up like little camps".
And Lesly, 13, had knowledge of which "fruits she can't eat because there are many poisonous fruits in the forest". The aunt added: "She also knew how to take care of a baby."
The Colombian Army also surveyed the scene after they found the children. They found hair ties strewn around on the jungle floor, suggesting that resourceful Lesly had used them to construct the shelters that kept them alive.
Fatima Valencia, the kid's grandma, said she was "very grateful" and thanked "mother earth" for "setting them free." The BBC reported that Lesly often looked after the other three while their mum was at work, a key part of their survival.
Ms Valencia said: "She gave them flour and cassava bread, any fruit in the bush, they know what they must consume."
John Moreno, the leader of the Guanano indigenous group near where the family were from, said the youngsters were largely raised by their grandma.
He added: 'They used what they learned in the community, relied on their ancestral knowledge in order to survive."
The children are being treated in the capital, Bogota, at a military hospital, where they have been visited by President Gustavo Petro.
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