Remember Rudyard Kipling's legendary story about Mowgli, which tells of a boy who grew up in the jungle far from people? Unfortunately, such stories happen not only in fairy tales, but also in real life. There are many cases when children who grew up without human communication and care adopted the habits of wild animals. When such Mowgli children were found, people were amazed that they barely spoke and could not behave like people even after returning to society. We present to your attention several amazing stories that illustrate how cruel reality can affect the destinies of children.
Still from the 2016 film “The Jungle Book”
Contents
- 1 Feral Children in Real Life
- 2 John of Liege
- 3 Wild Boy Peter
- 4 Dina Sanichar
Feral Children in Real Life
Feral children, also known as Mowgli children, grew up isolated from human society, without love, care, or human interaction. They adopted the behavior of the animals they lived among, which greatly influenced their future lives.
Returning such children to society is not an easy task. If the child had some social skills before isolation, the rehabilitation process is easier. However, for those who spent their first years among animals, the situation is much more difficult.
Mowgli children are also found in modern apartments – some children grow up and adopt the habits of domestic animals. Image source: novochag.ru
The Mowgli Effectshows that children raised by animals at an early age may have difficulty mastering human language and social skills even after returning to society. Key abilities are formed in the first years of life, and if they are not developed in time, no subsequent efforts will be able to fully compensate for this gap.
Scientists have learned all this through numerous observations of real feral children found in the wild.
John of Liege
John of Liege is one of the first documented cases of feral children in Europe. His story began in the early 17th centurywhen villagers in Belgium noticed a strange creature living among their animals. The creature was covered in spots of fur and had pink skin, which scared the locals. After many unsuccessful attempts to catch it, they finally managed to do so. However, what they thought was a beast turned out to be a human child.
Of course, no photographs of John of Liege exist — there were no cameras at the time. Image source: history.com
John spent several years in the woods, hiding from soldiers who had attacked his village. Frightened and lost, he was left alone in the wild, eating roots and fruits, and gradually lost the ability to speak. Like many feral children, John adopted the instincts of the animals he lived with. For example, he had an unusually acute sense of smell, which allowed him to smell food from a great distance. Despite the difficulties, John managed to return to society and even learn to speak again, making his story one of the few successful attempts at rehabilitation.
Wild Boy Peter
Peter, known as the Wild Boy, was discovered in 1725 in the woods near the German city of Hamelin. He led a life full of wildness: he ate plants and moved on all fours, like an animal.
Unfortunately, Peter had difficulty learning human language. He may have suffered from a rare genetic disorder called Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, which prevents learning and speech development. This is probably why his parents abandoned him.
A wild boy was temporarily adopted by King George I of England. Image source: wikipedia.org
Unlike John of Liege, Peter was unable to fully adapt to life in society. Despite the efforts of Caroline, Princess of Wales, to teach him to speak and behave like a human, he remained “wild” and was only able to learn a few words.
He was invited to social events to entertain the public, but this did not last long. Subsequently, until his death, Peter lived on a farm. He remained outside of society, retaining animal traits.
Read also:What the “16th Century Vampire” Looked Like — Look at the Face of the Woman Who Scared Gravediggers
Dina Sanichar
Dina Sanichar is a boy who became one of the most famous feral children. In 1867, he was found in a cave among wolves in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. When hunters found him, he was about six years old.
Dina was sent to an orphanage in Agra, where he lived among humans for over twenty years. Despite all attempts to teach him to speak, it turned out to be impossible – his abilities never recovered for the rest of his life.
Photos by Dean Sanichar. Image source: reddit.com
It is believed that Dean Sanichar's story inspired Rudyard Kipling to create the character of Mowgli in The Jungle Book. Although Sanichar was able to adapt to life among people, his connection with the wild remained strong: he walked on all fours and made sounds reminiscent of a wolf.
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