A Japanese man, who was stranded in a remote mountainous area in Western Japan for 24 days, reportedly survived the cold weather and that too without food and water, by switching to "hibernation" mode. Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression usually practiced by animals during winter.

Mitsutaka Uchikoshi, 35, went missing in late October after he went for a barbecue party with friends.

According to doctors who treated him at the nearby Kobe City General Hospital, Uchikoshi had almost no pulse, his organs had been shut down and his body temperature had dropped to 71 degrees Fahrenheit when he was found by rescuers.

The medics speculate that Uchikoshi's body might have entered hibernation, cutting down the oxygen needs.

Uchikoshi was treated for severe hypothermia, multiple organ failure and blood loss, before being discharged from the hospital on Tuesday.