A man of Serbian origin who has lived in a cave for the past two decades, has just received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. He urged others who had more frequent contact with "civilization" to get vaccinated immediately.
Panta Petrovic, the man's name, has been living an unconventional life for nearly 20 years. After donating all his wealth to the local community to fund the construction of three bridges from the village to the city, he completely abandoned his old life and lived in a remote cave in the Serbian mountains.
As quoted from France24, here, he spent years sleeping on straw, using an old bathtub for the toilet, and being accompanied by an animal.
Free from his old life which he found troublesome, Petrovic survived by eating mushrooms and fish he got from the local river. However, because some of his animals were eaten by wolves, he began to climb higher mountains, looking for the remains of the mountain climbers.
During one of his trips, Petrovic learned a lot about the COVID-19 pandemic. This is certainly surprising considering that he lives in a cave and is isolated from the outside world.
Since understanding the pandemic situation, he quickly adapted. The 70-year-old said he couldn't understand the anti-vax population who refuse to be vaccinated, and why some people still have doubts about the vaccine. Petrovic himself realized that despite being isolated, he needed to be vaccinated as an added protection measure.
"I would even like to get three doses if possible. I urge every citizen to be vaccinated, everyone should be vaccinated," he said.
#VIDEO Casi 20 años atrás, Panta Petrovic convirtió el distanciamiento social en su estilo de vida al mudarse a una pequeña caverna en Serbia para evitar el contacto con la sociedad. Hey, el ermitaño es un defensor de las vacunas contra el covid-19 #AFP https://t.co/P46bKEHWGM
— Agence France-Presse (@AFPespanol) August 15, 2021
For that need, Petrovic temporarily moved to an area closer to the population. He made a hut in an area that was still deserted. Along with her pets, she survives on food donations and state welfare donations.