The four childrenfound in her jungle Colombia 40 days after the crash of the small plane they were traveling in, they are “in a satisfactory process of recovery”, authorities announced yesterday, Monday.

Leslie (13), Soleini (9), Tien Noriel (5) and Christine (1) were found by military and indigenous people on Friday afternoon in southern Colombia.

As of Saturday morning, they are in the military hospital in Bogotá, where they reached an “acceptable clinical condition”.

After receiving care for two days, “they are in a very good mood, they colored and painted. They like to talk (…) they are in a very good mood,” states Adriana Velasquez, deputy director of the Colombian Institute for the Protection of the Family (ICBF) in a video sent to the media.

The two older sisters “raised a fever” yesterday, Monday, while Tien Noriel is “monitored” due to a “possible food poisoning”, ICBF director Astrid Caceres told W Radio.

Tien Noriel, the only boy in the group, was so weak when he was found that he could not walk, according to indigenous people who had first contact with the children on Friday.

“The baby is still being treated, not because he is in a serious condition, but because we are watching him more closely because of his age,” Cáceres added.

“They were able to sleep again, which helped them a lot,” he emphasized. “Things are progressing as predicted (…) he will need two to three weeks of hospitalization,” he said.

Guardianship is the main problem

ICBF will retain custody of the children until a family dispute is resolved.

The relatives of the deceased mother claim that the father of the two youngest children mistreats them, which the person concerned denies. Their maternal grandmother told AFP that she is seeking custody of the four children.

a four children were found wandering alone in the jungle after the May 1 crash of the Cessna 206 small plane in which they were traveling with their mother, the pilot and a relative, who were killed in the crash.

They fed on cassava flour found in the plane, as well as fruit found in the jungle.