Hero monkeys helped lost man survive for days in Amazon rainforest

He said the monkeys dropped him fruit and led him to shelter and water. (AP Photo/Juan Karita, File)

A Chilean tourist survived for nine days while lost in a dense expanse of Bolivian rainforest — thanks to a troop of hero monkeys who “dropped him fruit and led him to shelter and water every day,” the man claimed.

Maykool Coroseo Acuña, 25, went missing from his Max Adventures tour group at Madidi National Park, a protected rainforest in the northwest part of the South American country, National Geographic reported.

The night before Acuña disappeared, he refused to take part with other tourists in a traditional ceremony that gives thanks to Pachamama, Mother Earth, for allowing them to visit the forest.

“It’s because he offended the Pachamama,” said Feizar Nava, the owner of Max Adventures. “He didn’t want to participate in the ceremony.”

Shamans told the search party that Acuña was “far away, in a place we can’t reach.”

Acuña was found on day nine, less than a mile away from the Max Adventure’s campground.

He was dehydrated, weak and nearly eaten alive by bugs – and told the rescuers he only survived thanks to the kindly monkeys, who gave him food and led him to shelter, Nat Geo reported.

It’s unclear which species of monkeys kept him alive, but that rainforest includes Rosillo, Lucachi and Titi monkeys are some of the types that are indigenous to the jungle.