Marayoor: A 104-year-old woman who was forced to spend four days alone inside a forest has survived what many are calling a rebirth. Thankammal, wife of late Lincoln, a resident of the SC Colony at Idakkadavu in Kanthalloor, endured cold weather and wild animals while staying in the forest at Arakkamala, below Murugan Mala in Marayoor.

When her son Murugan and a search team finally found her on Saturday, she was exhausted but had no major health issues. She was admitted to a private hospital in Marayoor. Thankammal, who suffers from memory loss, had gone missing sometime between 9 am and noon on March 11, when no one was at home.

Relatives searched in several places before filing a complaint with the Marayoor police. An investigation was launched under Inspector M Shajahan, and a dog squad was also deployed.

It was around 1 am on Saturday that the team led by her son located her in Arakkamala—after she had survived four days and three nights in the forest.

The area is known for frequent sightings of elephant herds and wild bison. Locals said elephant herds were spotted near the place where she was found. The fact that she survived four days in a region inhabited by wild animals, without food or water has left residents astonished.