Survival

 There was a great story this morning from Reuters: 

Colombian children found alive in jungle weeks after plane crash

The details of this epic story were slim, but the opening line contains the vital clue: "Four children from an Indigenous community in Colombia..."

That the children survived the crash while all the adults perished was a great stroke of luck, but their subsequent survival can be attributed to a lifestyle based on very early learning about the sustainable exploitation of natural resources.

As it happens, I am familiar with the area where the plane went down in southern Colombia  from a youthful adventure many years in the past.  I have written here several times about my travels there and one of those posts briefly deals with the indigenous survival techniques which are provided to children from the time they began to walk.  (I am reminded of the fable of Br'er Rabbit and the Brian Patch.)

The Reuters story has the makings of a great book or a film.  It would be nice should such a project be undertaken if some of the benefits could accrue to the children and their community.  The danger is, of course, that such exposure will ultimately result in an erosion of cultural traditions and a degradation of environmental integrity.

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UPDATE (5/18/23)

Well, it appears now that the story might not have a real happy ending.  An article in La Prensa says that the President of Colombia has announced the the children have not been found.  We'll just have to hope for the best...

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UPDATE (5/19/23 - La Prensa)

Los militares hallaron el biberón del bebé y encontraron huellas recientes de pisadas de los niños cerca de un caño. Según fuentes de la zona, hay esperanzas de que hayan sobrevivido debido a que están familiarizados con la selva y sus recursos. La búsqueda es aún más difícil porque la lluvia hace que los rastros se borren más rápido.

The military found the baby's bottle and encountered recent footprints of the children near a stream. According to sources in the area, there is hope that they have survived because they are familiar with the jungle and its resources. The search is even more difficult because the rain makes the tracks disappear faster.

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The children were found forty days after the crash with no injuries and in good health, thanks to the care and skills of the oldest girl.