For 40 days, four children between 11 months and 13 years managed to survive in the dangerous jungle of the Colombian Amazoneating alone two fruits whose incredible nutritional properties were vital in his odyssey.

Lesly (13) and Soleiny Mucutuy (9); and Tien Noriel (4) and Cristin Ronoque Mucutuy (11 months) are the minors from the Uitoto ethnic group who survived the May 1 plane crash that killed their mother, Magdalena Mucutuy, the pilot and another adult.

The plane was flying the Araracuara – San José del Guaviare route when it crashed into the dense jungle, reports BBC News.

Despite the fact that the search began immediately, the children were found alive more than a month later on June 9, which is considered a miracle for the number of days they were alone in the midst of so many natural hazards and without adequate food. .

What fruits did the children who survived in the jungle eat?

Lesly was undoubtedly the hero of the story, taking care of herself and her siblings for so long and applying the botanical knowledge her family had taught her.

In addition to taking advantage of some supplies that were on the plane, such as a kilo cassava flour (cassava) which is rich in protein and vitamin B, the children were able to survive thanks to the consumption of these two fruits:

1. One thousand pesos

When they found the children, Lesly had the seeds of an Amazonian palm tree known as milpesos (Oenocarpus Bataua, botanical name) between her teeth.

The milpesos fruit is harvested between April and May, which explains why it was an easily accessible food for the children during their loss in the jungle.

It contains “excellent quality oil, with 4% protein,” says Naturalista, highlighting the high nutritional value of the fruit.

Indigenous people use the oil, which when refined is similar to olive oil, to treat ailments such as coughs and bronchitis and is even used for hair as it is said to have benefits against baldness.

The fruit is also consumed in the form of soft drinks, after maturation in warm water.

In the case of the children, Lesly had seeds in her mouth because they were not yet ripe and she kept them that way so that the heat would open them and she could feed the pulp to her brothers, one of the native guards explained to CNN en Español which he gave with the minors.

2. Avichure or Juan Soco

This exotic fruit that resembles passion fruit in appearance belongs to the Apocynaceae family, according to the Twitter account Colombian fruit.

“It is a juicy and creamy fruit, it has a pleasant sweet taste; its shell without being rigid is firm and allows transportation without deteriorating. The seeds are edible and have a texture similar to chewing gum,” he says.

The consumption of both fruits with their nutritional value was essential so that the four children are safe and recovering from such a difficult experience today.