Man who's lived in a cave for 20 years immediately gets vaccinated after finding out about COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic's advance was swift and widespread when it rolled into our lives in late 2019. Within just a couple of months, pretty much every person in every corner of the Earth had heard about the deadly virus spreading like wildfire and the world population split into two: those who took necessary precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones, and those who claimed it was all a hoax and put countless lives in danger with their recklessness. While believers of science and facts tried their best to convince the conspiracy theory enthusiasts, there was one man in a tiny Serbian mountain cave who wasn't a part of either.

Mr. Panta Petrovic, a 70-year-old Serbian hermit, was utterly unaware of the pandemic until he dropped into a nearby town to pick up some supplies. The recluse — who made social distancing a lifestyle choice long before the rest of the world followed suit — immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation and got vaccinated as soon as COVID-19 vaccines became available. "It (the virus) does not pick. It will come here to my cave, too," he told AFP from his cave on the forested Stara Planina mountain in southern Serbia.

Petrovic is now a staunch advocate of COVID-19 vaccines. He said that he "doesn't understand the fuss" some anti-vaxxers make and emphasized that he believes in a process that aims to eradicate diseases. "I want to get all three doses, including the extra one. I urge every citizen to get vaccinated, every single one of them," he said. Hailing from the nearby town of Pirot, Petrovic worked as a laborer on the black market and abroad for some time. Although he remarried multiple times, he described his pre-hermit life as "hectic." As a life-long nature lover, Petrovic gradually found comfort in isolating himself from society and relishes the freedom it gave him.

"I was not free in the city. There is always someone in your way - you either argue with your wife, neighbors, or the police," he explained. "Here, nobody is hassling me." Petrovic's current home — aka the cave — is only accessible by a steep climb that wouldn't be appreciated by the faint of heart. It features an old rusty bathtub that he uses as a toilet, some benches, and a stack of hay that serves as a bed. Since he mostly feeds on mushrooms and fish from the local creek, Petrovic didn't have much need to hike downtown until recently.

Petrovic started venturing closer to civilization after wolves slaughtered some of the animals he kept near the cave. Now, he houses his goats, a flock of chickens, some thirty dogs and cats, and pet wild boar named Mara in a shack he assembled in the outskirts of the town. It was during one of these trips that he found out about the pandemic and sought the vaccine when it became available. News of his support for COVID-19 vaccines has caused quite the stir in social media circles in recent days with many hoping it'll finally inspire the unvaccinated to get over their vaccine hesitancy.

"Man *literally* lives under a rock and is still smarter and better-informed than half the American South. SMH," tweeted @gardonkulous. "This man who lives in a cave is more in touch with reality than half the US. Let's bring this guy out of the cave and send the other folk into the cave. The cave can be helpful," suggested @tootiredbyfar. "Serbian man living in a cave gets a vaccine. If the hermits are doing it, you should too," pointed out @UnaHajdari.