The Truth About Feral Children

Throughout history, it seems as if every so often, talks of a feral child being found somewhere come up. Especially with the technological advances of such things like social media platforms and instant news at the swipe of our finger, we can find out about these things easier and more frequently. If you don’t know, a feral child is a child that was born of a human woman and then was either abandoned or wandered into the wild, never to be found again until years later where they end up walking on all fours, howling like the wolves, or engaging in some other type of animalistic behavior. But could a child actually survive out in the wild? It seems as if there are so many things that children apparently need in today’s world that they simply wouldn’t make it out in the wilderness. So, the big question is: are the stories of feral children real? Read on to find out more information on this mysterious topic.

A Brief History

Perhaps the most notable feral child of them all is Mowgli who is prominently featured as the main character in The Jungle Book. His parents go on a trip, he ends up getting lost, and from there, proceeds to live in the wild, talking to panthers, snakes, bears, and the like. Unfortunately, like most pieces of literature or film, this did not accurately portray the effects of isolation from society on a child.

The first documented case of this is the Hessian Wolf Children who were found in 1304 Germany. Monks in the area located the two boys and quickly realized what was going on. The two little boys (who were approximated to be about seven years old at the time of being found) could not stand upright whatsoever and only growled. They seemed to have no interest in human contact and could easily withstand cold air and mild discomforts that would make any other child that age have a tantrum. The monks wrote in depth accounts of these two boys and their observations of them. They noted that the two boys were truly being raised by wolves and were often spotted playing with other cubs in their den. What’s odd is that both the boys died almost immediately after their capture and “training” to be a normal human being.

The Growing Reports

From there, more and more reports of feral children have come up. In 1954, a little girl was found being raised by chimpanzees in a jungle in Colombia. In 1982, a boy was found in Uganda being raised by primates. Another boy in 1991 was found being raised by wolves. It’s easy to see how this pattern continues.
One of the most distinguished stories actually came to light this year. A little girl who is believed to be somewhere within the ages of eight and twelve was found by foresters inside of a national park wildlife sanctuary. When she was spotted, it was noted that it appeared she belonged to a family of primates that resided within that forest. Captivated, they watched her for some time and noticed that she screeched, howled, and otherwise completely communicated efficiently to other primates. It was clear to see that these primates believed she was their own somehow. After the authorities were alerted, medical staff at the hospital where she was swiftly admitted conducted that she was completely disabled not only physically, but mentally, too. In the meantime, however, the monkeys that were by her side when she was initially found had grown very angry and pursued the foresters that took her away from them, further proving the point that she was really a part of their family.

Some people believe the little girl was abandoned there because of her developmental disabilities, but can we be sure? The girl is slowly learning human speech now, but she is still showing preference to eating with her hands or her face directly, and is also incredibly prone to fits of anger.
So, Feral Children are Real, Then?

Feral children are absolutely real, according to scientists. Though we may not be able to fathom how children could possibly live without the proper food, shelter, and clothing, it really boils down to nature vs. nurture. A child can be raised to become accustomed to almost any type of diet if that is all it’s ever known. A child can learn to walk on all fours, and though his arms may become stunted on account of it, they can go about their life in that way if that is what they are taught over and over again.