Authorities in Yunnan province said a 3-year-old boy seen crawling naked in a video which went viral online is in stable health and living safely with his parents, following an investigation that found no evidence of abuse, trafficking or illegal profit-making, according to China Central Television on Tuesday.

The boy, nicknamed Pingping, was filmed on Oct 15 crawling unclothed at a highway service area in Shimian county, Sichuan province, while his parents were on a family road trip.

The footage triggered a heated online debate, with questions raised over whether the child was being mistreated or even trafficked.

Local authorities in Nanjian county, Dali Bai autonomous prefecture, where the family resides, launched an investigation the following day along with provincial level officials. The team found the family in Sichuan on Oct 18 and persuaded them to return home to Nanjian county on Oct 21.

Medical professionals conducted physical and psychological assessments of the family, confirming that their two children were unharmed.

Pingping has since adapted well to daily routines, according to a local caregiver who has accompanied him since mid-October. Videos from a nearby kindergarten show him playing and laughing with other children.

Officials also verified that Pingping and his younger brother are the biological children of their parents, surnamed Li and Wan.

The couple, who have not yet registered their marriage, have now received official birth certificates for the boys, and local authorities are processing household registration.

Li explained that Pingping had eczema and sometimes disliked wearing clothes in warm weather, adding that the boy's crawling behavior was a playful imitation of the family's pet dog, according to the CCTV report on Tuesday.