Forty Days in the Jungle: Behind the Extraordinary Survival and Rescue of Four Children Lost in the Amazon

An extraordinary, gripping survival story that reveals the struggles and resilience of the Colombian Amazon’s Indigenous peoples. In June 2023, four Indigenous children were found alive in the Colombian Amazon, forty days after the light aircraft they had been travelling in crashed into deep jungle, killing the three adults on board. For weeks the Colombian public had been transfixed by clues of the children’s survival, of Indigenous tales of malign forest spirits, and of the unconventional tactics of the huge search team. But most now despaired of ever finding the children. Thirteen-year-old Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy never gave up hope. Forty Days in the Jungle tells the story of how the eldest child kept her siblings safe and fed during their time in the wilderness. It follows the battle-hardened soldiers and the brave Indigenous volunteers who undertook the search operation. And it delves into the Indigenous mythology — the spirits, shamans, and psychedelic potions — that was central to the drama and made it a rescue mission unlike any other. By investigating the children’s motives for travel, the tragedy of their backstory, and the months that followed their rescue, it also shines a light on the painful history of Colombia’s Amazonian peoples. Lesly and her siblings were survivors before they ever set foot on the plane.

About the Author :
Mat Youkee has lived in Colombia since 2010, working as a freelance journalist and professional investigator. He has covered Indigenous-rights issues in Colombia, Panama, Chile, and Argentina for The Guardian. His reporting has also appeared in The Economist, The Telegraph, the Financial Times, Americas Quarterly, Foreign Policy, and other local and international publications.

Review :
‘This reconstruction of events is much more than a sensational search and rescue drama with a happy ending. Zooming out from the crash that gripped the nation, Mat Youkee takes in the broader social and political landscape for what it tells about the harsh reality of life for indigenous peoples of the Colombian Amazon.’ ‘Gripping, forensic, powerful and moving, Forty Days in the Jungle is a modern Colombian epic … A veteran foreign correspondent in Colombia, Youkee lays bare how a complex interplay of factors (guerrilla violence, domestic abuse, Indigenous poverty, mechanical failures, split-second decisions) led to disaster. But he also writes with deep sensitivity and respect for the country’s Amazonian cultures, and the vanishing knowledge that enabled the children to survive for so long in an apparently inhospitable environment. Forty Days in the Jungle has all the pace and tension of a real-life thriller, conveying the mystery and allure of the Amazon while being clear-eyed about the social and political challenges facing the region.’ ‘Forty Days in the Jungle penetrates the mysteries and secrets of the Amazon jungle. Far more than the death-defying saga of four children who hid for weeks in the forests after surviving a deadly plane crash, this gripping tale is a path into the rugged day-to-day life of those who live in the Amazon. The mythological Hollywood stereotypes of the Amazon are exposed in this gripping true story that shows those living inside the famed forests to be as socially complex as its biodiversity … Forty Days in the Jungle is a tale of hope and injustice written with a deep respect for all we have yet to learn from this ecosystem known globally as The Lungs of the Planet.’ ‘Forty Days in the Jungle achieves that rare feat of taking a headline news story and revealing it to be twice as jaw-dropping as we could ever have imagined. Deploying his extensive journalistic talent and intimate knowledge of Colombia, Youkee deftly takes us beneath the surface of the most famous rescue mission for years. In doing so, he unveils not only a tale of human perseverance and courage, but also the searing fault lines that continue to divide and destabilise this beautiful yet fragile country. A triumph of storytelling reportage.’