Five of the Most Shocking Cases of Real-World Feral Children

If you heard of the word "feral child", you'll probably think of Tarzan immediately. Growing up in a forest with almost no human contact, the young English man has adopted the lifestyle of the gorillas who took care of him.

While it might sound like something very fictitious, there are actually some real cases of children raised by monkeys, wolves, and even birds!

1. Marina Chapman

Marina's story became a public interest after her autobiography, The Girl with No Name, was published. According to her, when she was five, she was kidnapped. Then, her abductors left her in the forest.

She thought that she was dying until she saw a group of monkeys. For the first time since she was abandoned, she felt hope because she saw something humanoids. Then, these monkeys helped her survived until she was rescued about five years later.

According to the report of The Guardian, Marina's life outside the forest was difficult. She was sold to a brothel and enslaved by a mafia. But now, she has her own family -- a retired scientist husband and two daughters.

2. Oxana Malaya

Oxana's parents were alcoholic and neglectful. When she was three, they even left her outside in the cold. To save her life, she crawled inside a dog kennel and curled up with stray dogs to keep warm.

When she was rescued in 1991, she has lost most of her human traits and has learned many mannerisms and behaviors of dogs. She walked on four, barked, sniffed her food before eating it. She also has a heightened sense of hearing, smell, and sight.

Through intensive therapy, she was able to learn some basic human skills like walking uprightly and speak a bit. She now works in an animal farm in Odessa.

3. John Ssebunya

John is another victim of an abusive family. When he was three, he ran away after his father murdered his mom. He found solace in a jungle with monkeys until he was rescued three years later. Aside from adopting a monkey's trait, he was suffering from a severe case of intestinal worms by the time he was found.

Now, John is a singer. He is part of the 20-member Pearl of Africa Children's Choir.

4. Privacy

Prava's mother was mentally ill. She thought of her own son as if he's among her many bird pets. Although the then 7-year old boy was never physically harmed, his mom never spoke to him. Instead, he was always left alone with no companion except the birds.

Then, in 2008, he was released and was taken to a psychology facility. He cannot speak -- just chirp like a bird -- and he would flap his arms and hands if he was misunderstood.

Up to this date, doctors are still trying to rehabilitate.

5. Kamala and Amala

The case of these sisters, who were eight and 18 months, gathered the public's attention in the 1920s. They were found in a wolf's den in India. 

They were physically deformed -- misshapen jaws, elongated canine, and short extremities. Their eyes shone in the dark like a canine's eyes and walked on all fours. They showed hostility against humans who tried to approach them, and would only eat raw meat.

Unfortunately, the younger child, Amala, died a year after she was discovered. Kamala survived for the next 17 years and was able to learn some human traits like walking uprightly and speaking some words.

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