They recognized the potential danger born with their breakthroughs
He was later sent to the countryside and died in 1785. Scientists speculate that he might have suffered from a rare neurological condition called Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.
Reportedly he had developed a “dog-like sense of smell,” which eventually dulled after some time. According to Sir Digby’s account, he had “forgotten the use of all language.” Though John eventually started talking again.
Ramu was found in Lucknow, India, in 1954. He had reportedly been raised by wolves and was also dubbed “Wolf Boy.”
Peter was used to entertain royal guests at parties with his wild behavior. He never learned how to speak and preferred to sleep on the floor.
Around 1725, a teenage boy was found in the woods in northern Germany. He was naked and mute. He was brought before King George I of Great Britain, who christened him Peter and took him to London.
In 1644, Sir Kenelm Digby (pictured) reported that John of Liège escaped to the woods in Belgium when he was five during a religious war. He stayed there for 16 years. John was found back in civilization while trying to steal food.
Dina Sanichar was found by hunters in 1867 in the Bulandshahr district of India. He was around six years old and had lived in the wilderness, walking on all fours, with wolves.
The boy had developed extraordinary night vision, but his complexion and how easily he learned language led to speculations of a hoax and conspiracy theories. To this day, questions remain unanswered.
She was eventually baptized and sent to live in a convent. Years later, Marie-Angélique reported that she was brought to Europe as a slave. Research suggests she was originally a Meskwaki Native American from an area that is now Wisconsin.
In 1828, a teenager appeared in Nuremberg, Germany, saying his name was Kaspar Hauser and that he had lived 13 years locked in a small room. He said he was being released from the house to pursue a military career.
Physician Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard worked with the boy for years. Victor eventually bathed and wore clothes, but never managed to dominate the use of language.
This feral child was found in the woods in 1800, near Aveyron, France. He was around 12 years old. He was naked and mute, and refused any human contact.
The “Savage Girl of Champagne” appeared in the French village of Songy in 1731. She didn't speak French and ate raw meat.
The Roman myth of the Capitoline Wolf and the twin brothers Romulus and Remus is also a very present one in popular culture.
A feral child, or wild child, is a human child who has grown up isolated from humans.
As a result, they do not develop the social skills they otherwise would, and are unable to communicate through a common language.
Many children are raised in isolation. This includes being locked in a room for years and being confined to a place without human interaction.
Throughout history there are records of children raised by primates, wolves, dogs, sheep, bears, cattle, goats, ostriches, and even pumas.
But some of these children are also raised with (and by) animals. They are either put in places cohabiting with animals, or do so in the wild.
The popularity of the feral child narrative has also led to many hoaxes throughout the years. But this has not always been the case. Let's look at some famous real cases (and others that are maybe not so real) of feral children throughout history.
By not having contact with humans from such a young age, these children are not exposed to contact, language, and behaviors they normally would if they were raised among humans.
Lack of social interaction can have huge repercussions in terms of physical and cognitive development, among other things.
This theory has been challenged and some believe it to be a hoax, as it's highly unlikely he would've survived being handled by the sharp teeth of wolves at such a young age. (Illustrative picture)
Sources: (History)
See also: Why we all need human touch
And so did the character of Tarzan in the beginning of the 20th century, and whose popularity persists to this day. Not to mention the more recent spoof, 'George of the Jungle.'
Some stories of wild children are indeed folklore, and books such as Rudyard Kipling's ‘The Jungle Book’ perpetuated the myth with fictional characters like Mowgli.
He was brought to the Sikandra Mission Orphanage in Agra, where missionaries tried to rehabilitate “Wolf Boy.” He died in 1895, having never learned to talk and still preferring raw meat to cooked food. (Picture from the movie 'The Wild Child')
The story of the feral child has been around for just about as long as we can remember. From Ancient Roman myths to fictional characters such as Mowgli, the narrative of the wild child has been present in many cultures. But while many of these are indeed legends, there are instances when children lived in extreme isolation from humans. This happened for various reasons; from being locked in a room to living in the wilderness for several years. Things turn particularly interesting when these children have the company of animals, either in the wild or indoors.
Can we thrive as healthy human beings without other humans around? Click through the following gallery to find out.
Humans raised by animals
Discover some of history's most notable feral children
LIFESTYLE History
The story of the feral child has been around for just about as long as we can remember. From Ancient Roman myths to fictional characters such as Mowgli, the narrative of the wild child has been present in many cultures. But while many of these are indeed legends, there are instances when children lived in extreme isolation from humans. This happened for various reasons; from being locked in a room to living in the wilderness for several years. Things turn particularly interesting when these children have the company of animals, either in the wild or indoors.
Can we thrive as healthy human beings without other humans around? Click through the following gallery to find out.