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What is it about feral children that both intrigue and shock us? On one hand, we envision the legendary Tarzan, a child raised in the jungle, soaring through the forest's towering trees, swinging effortlessly from vine to vine. He finds contentment in his solitude, surrounded by animals. When danger arises, Tarzan calls out to the elephants with a powerful cry, 'aahuaaa uaaa uaaaaaaaa,' and they rush to his aid.
Yet, there are real-life feral children scattered throughout history, cases that present puzzles even experts struggle to answer. How did these children end up living among wolves? What allowed them to survive in such harsh conditions? And most poignantly, how could any parent allow or lose a child to the wild?
If we are to discuss children who slipped through society's cracks, here are ten cases that delve into the world of feral children.
10. The Wild Girl of Champagne
Marie-Angélique Memmie Le Blanc, a feral child who rose from rags to riches, is said to have been born in Wisconsin in 1712. According to her own account, when she was about seven years old, she was painted black and sold into slavery. She was traveling with a Canadian woman to France when their ship sank, but Le Blanc and another girl managed to reach the shore. They then began living in a French forest, surviving by foraging for roots, hunting small animals, and consuming them raw.
Eventually, the two girls went their separate ways. One day, villagers saw Le Blanc stealing apples and set a bulldog on her. With a single blow, Le Blanc killed the dog and quickly climbed a tree, eluding capture by swinging from branch to branch, just like Tarzan, disappearing once again into the depths of the forest. A nobleman commanded that she be captured, and when she was finally caught, she emitted unsettling animalistic sounds.
At the time of her capture, professionals estimated Le Blanc’s age to be between ten and eighteen years old. Unlike many feral children, she learned to speak and became fluent in French. Over the following decades, she became a notable figure in Paris, meeting royalty and garnering admirers from around the world due to her extraordinary personal story. Marie Le Blanc passed away in 1771, a wealthy woman.
9. Peter: The Wild Boy of Hanover
Peter’s tale is one of the earliest known accounts of a feral child. In 1725, Peter was discovered living in a German forest, where he survived by walking on all fours like a dog or wolf and foraging for plants. Upon capture, he was handed over to a local Count for safekeeping. Unable to speak, Peter made noises that locals likened to an orangutan's call. He was regarded as a bizarre and wild curiosity, much like an animal in a zoo.
Eventually, Peter was transported to England and placed under the care of King George I. For a time, the court was captivated by this untamed figure. When their fascination waned, Peter was sent to live with a farming family, where he spent his days joyfully filling a cart with animal dung and then emptying it. Peter had a particular fondness for autumn and would often wander into the woods to gather acorns to eat.
Occasionally, Peter would venture far from home during his autumn excursions and find himself unable to return. The compassionate farmer who cared for him had a metal collar crafted for Peter, which was locked around his neck. The collar was engraved with Peter's name, address, and a message that read: 'If you find Peter, please return him to this address, and you will be rewarded for your kindness.'
Peter passed away in February of 1785, and to this day, visitors leave flowers on his grave in the churchyard.
8. The Feral Child Raised by Orangutans
This next feral child story took place in the 21st century, on the island of Borneo, bordered by the South China Sea to the northwest and the Sulu Sea to the northeast. In the jungles of Borneo, locals spotted a young boy living in the wild. After two years of failed attempts, authorities were finally able to capture the boy in 2014. Doctors estimated his age to be between four and seven years old.
Incredibly, the boy had been living among a group of fierce orangutans who strongly objected to him being taken away. Four of the orangutans had to be sedated with tranquilizer darts before officials could secure the child. Initially, the boy was frightened, but over time, the doctors gained his trust. Upon examining him, they were surprised to find that he was in surprisingly good health despite surviving in the wild and eating whatever he could find.
When he was first captured, the boy showed no signs of socialization with humans. With the support of social services, he began the difficult process of learning how to live and behave like a 'normal' child.
7. Ng Chhaidy
In 1974, Ng Chhaidy and her four-year-old male cousin vanished into the jungle outside their small village in eastern India, near the Myanmar border. A heavy rainstorm soon after washed away any trace of their path. Five days later, Ng’s cousin was found, but there was no sign of Ng. She was presumed dead, and the family, along with the village, moved on as best as they could.
For decades, there were rumors of a woman living in the jungle. In 2012, at the age of 42, Ng Chhaidy was discovered living naked in a cemetery in Myanmar. A woman took her in and, three years later, recognized a family resemblance when she encountered Ng’s father. Thanks to a birthmark on Ng’s face and the fact she was left-handed, Ng was reunited with her parents, who had long believed their daughter was dead.
6. The Bird Boy
Prava, a feral child, was discovered at the age of seven, living with his mother in a modest two-bedroom apartment in Russia. At the time, his mother was in her early thirties and kept one room filled with numerous bird cages, housing the dozens of birds she owned.
Sadly, Prava was confined to the same room as the birds, and his mother never spoke to him. When he was found, he was unable to speak; instead, he made bird-like chirping sounds. After being rescued, if Prava became frustrated, he would flap his arms and hands in the manner of a bird.
5. Oxana Malaya
One of the most well-documented cases of a feral child involves an eight-year-old Ukrainian girl, Oxana Malaya, who was discovered in 1991 in the rural farming village of Nova Blagovishchenka.
Oxana Malaya was born in 1983 and, due to neglect by her alcoholic parents, grew up surrounded by dogs. When she was found, Oxana was living in a kennel with the animals, having been living with them since she was about two years old. One evening, after being left outside by her parents, Oxana sought warmth and crawled into the nearby dog kennel, curling up with the dogs. The comfort they provided surely made her feel that she had finally found a safe haven.
By the time authorities arrived to rescue Oxana, her behavior was highly dog-like. She moved on all fours, bared her teeth, and barked at anyone who came too close. She could only say two words, 'yes' and 'no,' and lacked basic human skills such as bathing. Instead, she would groom herself like the dogs she lived with.
Oxana was placed in a special foster facility for children with developmental impairments. It took years of therapy and education to help her begin to recover. Over time, she learned to speak, and today she works milking cows. Doctors believe Oxana will never completely overcome her intellectual disabilities.
In a 2013 interview on Ukrainian television, Oxana expressed that she disliked being called the 'dog-girl.' She simply wants to be treated like a normal person. Her hopes and dreams include seeing her brothers more often and, one day, finding her mother.
4. The Chicken Boy
In many instances, authorities are unsure how children end up living as feral beings. However, in the case of Sujit Kumar, the reason was painfully clear.
In 1978, on the island of Fiji, Sujit was found living in a chicken coop. His parents had cast him out due to behavioral issues. When his mother took her own life, Sujit's grandfather assumed responsibility for him, yet he continued to be made to live in the chicken coop. At eight years old, Sujit was found one day on the road, flapping his arms and clucking like a chicken.
After being rescued, it was noticed that Sujit's fingers had turned inward. At mealtime, he would peck at his food like a chicken, crouch on his chair as if roosting, and communicate by clicking his tongue.
3. The Syrian Gazelle
This unnamed feral boy was believed to have gone missing at the age of seven. In the 1940s, he was reported to be living with a herd of gazelles in a northern province of the Sahara Desert.
An anthropologist traveling through the area managed to make contact with the boy, who was surviving by eating grasses and roots. The boy was described as showing behaviors similar to those of gazelles, twitching his muscles, ears, nose, and scalp. He would sniff the air for danger and remain on high alert, even while asleep, waking quickly at the slightest sound.
The first attempt to capture him was made by two men in a Jeep, but the boy swiftly ran away. His speed was clocked at an incredible 50 to 55 mph, and his leaps through the air were estimated to reach as high as thirteen feet.
The boy was eventually captured at the age of fifteen. In captivity, he exhibited gazelle-like behavior, eating and crying in the same manner. However, he eventually managed to escape, and his fate remains unknown.
2. Chilean Dog Boy
At the age of five, an unnamed boy from southern Chile was abandoned by his abusive parents. He was placed in a children's home but escaped two years later, beginning a feral existence on the streets of Talcahuano with a pack of fifteen stray dogs. Together, they scavenged for food, living in a cave on the outskirts of the city.
In 2001, when authorities became aware of how the boy was surviving, they moved in to capture him. In an attempt to escape, he leaped into the frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean. However, a policeman dove in after him and rescued him. The boy was filthy, dressed in tattered rags, and his hair was matted.
After spending a day recovering in the hospital, the boy was taken to a different children's home. He showed signs of depression and aggression. Although he didn't speak much, he was capable of forming intelligible words when he chose to.
1. Amala and Kamala
In 1926, Reverend Singh, the head of an orphanage, documented an account of two girls who had been rescued from wolves in Midnapore, India.
Singh described the girls as behaving like wolves. They refused to wear clothes, and would scratch or bite anyone who came too close. They rejected cooked food, preferring to eat raw meat from bowls placed on the ground. The girls crawled around on their hands and knees, with thick calluses on them. They favored nighttime over daylight and appeared to have a heightened sense of smell and hearing. While they exhibited fear, they showed little to no human emotions. They did not speak, but at night, they would howl to their wolf pack.
According to reports, Amala and Kamala were abandoned by their families and found themselves nurtured by a female wolf. Their physical features were said to resemble the wolf that cared for them, with receding foreheads and protruding lower jaws. However, the truth of this story has been questioned over time. Amala passed away in September 1921, and Kamala followed in November 1929.
