Man Lost in Amazon For a Month Says He Eats Worms and Drinks His Own Urine to Stay Alive

Jhonatan Acosta, a 30-year-old Bolivian man, has recounted his 31 day ordeal after becoming separated from his hunting party. To stay alive he subsisted on insects and worms for sustenance while collecting water in his boots.

He was found by a search party after limping towards them from the bushes. Unfortunately, he suffered from dehydration and an injured ankle.

Jhonatan Acosta

Jhonatan Acosta, 30, who got lost in the Amazon for one month and managed to stay alive by eating worms and drinking his own urine. If this is confirmed, this could make him one of the longest-ever lone Amazon survivors.

Acosta, who was found 31 days after going missing, told Bolivian TV he had managed to survive by eating worms and insects to keep his body functioning properly as well as collecting rainwater in his boots for drinking. He noted that it rained about half the time he was lost and also consumed wild fruits for sustenance.

His sister told Unitel TV that he had to hide from a variety of wild animals, such as jaguars and peccaries, while also fighting off a wild pig and narrowly escaping an encounter with a tiger.

On January 25, a 30-year-old native of Beni went hunting with his friends but got separated and lost in the jungle. Luckily, a search party comprised of locals and friends eventually rescued him, according to BBC news.

Last Saturday, Jhonatan Acosta was reunited with his family. As he wept during the ceremony and thanked those responsible for saving him, Acosta expressed his gratitude.

He expressed his gratitude at being rescued, noting that his life had taken an unprecedented turn since becoming lost. He reported having lost 17kg and suffered severe dehydration as a result of being found.

Acosta's story has been featured in multiple media outlets, such as the BBC and La Vanguardia. This has sparked an investigation by police brigades, volunteers, and other officials.

According to him, he had to walk about 25 miles in order to find help, but was disoriented and had no choice but to circle around in circles. Additionally, he claims that he was bitten by various creatures including jaguars during this ordeal.

On Tuesday, Bolivian television channel Unitel reported Acosta's survival. He is expected to be interviewed for a documentary film about his skillset and what he had to do in order to stay alive in the rainforest. Furthermore, Acosta must explain how he managed to stay alive throughout this ordeal.

Lost in the Amazon for a month

In the Amazon jungle, it can be challenging to survive alone. This is especially true for those who become lost in nature. Jhonatan Acosta, a Bolivian hunter, spent 31 days alone in the forest after becoming separated from his friends. To stay alive, he had no choice but to eat insects and worms, collect rainwater in his boots, and drink his own urine.

Throughout his ordeal, Acosta claims he heard voices near where he was lost and attempted to draw attention from those around him. After 31 days of searching, a search party finally located him.

He stumbled towards the group, shouting to get their attention, and was eventually discovered by four local individuals. He was injured, had a dislocated ankle, and suffered from 17kg (37lb) of dehydration.

Once the search party located him, he was taken to hospital for medical care of his injuries. After receiving the necessary medications and waiting a month before being allowed home again, the search party sent him on his way.

Acosta had several terrifying encounters with wild animals, such as a jaguar and wild boars, which necessitated him to fight them off.

His younger brother revealed to Unitel TV that Acosta had been subsisting on worms, collecting rain water in his boots, and drinking his own urine to stay alive. On February 25th he was rescued and now recuperates with his family in Baures.

He described how he used his survival skills, acquired during national military service and watching survival programmes, to survive alone in the Amazon jungle. Additionally, he used his gun to scare off peccaries - pig-like herd animals that frequent South American rainforests - with which he shared a gunshot wound.

Unitel TV reported that he had to do all this while wearing only his shoes and without any tools such as a machete or flashlight. Throughout his ordeal, he claimed he was bitten by several different insects and worms.

He walked for approximately 40km (25 miles) through the Amazon jungle before being discovered by a search party. After an ordeal of one month in the jungle, his family members were thrilled at his discovery - they cheered him on to victory!

Eating insects and worms

On January 25th, 30-year-old Bolivian cocoa farmer Jhonatan Acosta became lost while out hunting with four friends in the Amazon jungle. A month later he was located by search and rescue teams.

His sister Miladde reported that he had lost 17kg (37lb), suffered from a dislocated ankle, and only managed to stay alive by eating worms and drinking rainwater collected in his shoes. During this ordeal he also had to fight off a wild pig and narrowly avoided meeting with a tiger, according to Miladde.

Mr Acosta credits his national military service and watching survival TV shows with honing his survival skills. In his own words, "it was the combination of these skills, along with knowledge about hiding from various animals" that proved most useful when stranded in the jungle.

What's most remarkable about his story is that he made it back home safely. A month later, he was reunited with his family.

Jhonatan Acosta's survival story may not be the first or longest ever experienced in the Amazon, but it certainly ranks as one of the longest. Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg spent three weeks alone in Bolivia's Amazon in 1981; another lone survivor, pilot Antonio Sena, made headlines when his plane crashed into the jungle in 2021 and walked for 36 days through it.

Drinking his own urine

Jhonatan Acosta may have become the longest-living lone Amazon survivor if his story is true. To stay alive, he fed on insects and worms, collected water in his boots, and drank his own urine for sustenance.

Dr Vidya Lalloo, an emergency medicine specialist in Pretoria, advises against drinking your own pee except in extreme situations. Urine contains waste products and trace amounts of bacteria which could be hazardous if they get into your bloodstream. Dr Lalloo advises against doing so for this reason.

She explains that your body's filtration system has an intricate process for eliminating unwanted substances like water, salt, nitrogen and toxins. But if you drink your own urine instead of drinking water, it can sluggish down this action and increase the risk of hypernatremia (too much sodium in your blood) or dehydration.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking your own urine may interfere with how certain prescription drugs act on your body. This could result in negative side effects or even an unsafe interaction between drugs.

The study revealed that people who drank their own urine were more likely to experience dizziness, nausea and headaches. Other symptoms included irritability, sneezing and runny nose.

Though it's possible to go up to a week without drinking water, dehydration poses a major risk factor for many. Dehydration can lead to vomiting and, ultimately, death.

Survivalist Bear Grylls has been known to drink large amounts of his own urine in an effort to stay hydrated. He believes the small quantities of hormones, vitamins and antibodies present in his pee have a hydrating effect on him.

Though it is possible to survive on a desert island by drinking your own urine, this is not recommended. Instead, depend on rainwater for all of your water needs.

Your urine contains more toxins and other things than water, plus it contains an abundance of bacteria. Furthermore, it's filled with dead cells from internal organs, making it less than sterile. Furthermore, urine contains too much sodium for your kidneys to process effectively; making you thirstier and dehydrated than usual.