A toddler who went missing during a New Year's Eve party in Brazil has been found alive after spending five days in a forest.

After a frantic search, the 21-month-old girl, named Ana Clara, was found hugging a tree - a mere 400 metres from where she had gone missing.

Ana had survived her ordeal by eating mud and grass.

She suffered minor injuries and had insect bites all over her body when she was discovered.

The toddler's parents, who live on a ranch in the north-western state of Rondonia, realised Ana was missing on New Year's Day.

Firefighters and police dog handlers searched the area, fearing the girl had strayed to a nearby river.

They found one of Ana's sandals near a hole, and initially thought she may have fallen in.

Police chief Cezar Pizzano, who led the search, finally found the girl in the forest nearby.

He said: "We always believed she was still alive."

Ana's mother, Francoise Abranches, described her daughter's safe return as "a miracle".

Her father, Ronaldo Nunes, added: "God's hand helped my daughter. I knew we would get her back."

The girl is now recovering in hospital.