She Went Missing at Age 4 and Survived 38 Years Alone in the Jungle

For centuries, stories of feral children have captivated the public imagination. They also provide interesting ammunition to debates regarding the fundamental state of human nature. By definition, a feral child lives in a wild state, isolated from human interaction and without experience of society, social behavior, or language. While some feral children are seemingly raised by animals and mimic their characteristics, others happen to get lost in the wilderness but manage to survive on their own.

As evidenced by this list, the stories of children who got lost but survived on their wits are widespread. While many such accounts come down to us from previous centuries, just as many occur in the modern day. Stories like that of Ho Van Lang in Cambodia suggest there could be feral children lost in the woods somewhere at this very moment. Let’s explore some of the unique circumstances and fascinating attributes of different children who got lost in the wilderness but managed to survive for extended periods.

(For children who progressed at remarkable rates, learn about this child prodigy who signed a record contract at age 11. )

To compile a list of real stories of children who got lost but survived on their own, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of historical, news, and entertainment publications including History.com , Bartleby.com, and Historycollection.com. Next, we selected cases of feral children attested in various historical archives and sources. After that, we confirmed aspects of our research using sites like Britannica.com and the Animals & Society Institute.

Hany Istók

In the spring of 1749, fishermen came across an eight—to ten-year-old boy in the swampy marshes along Lake Király (in modern-day Hungary). Orphaned but able to survive in the wild, the boy was naked, unable to speak, and had crusted-over skin. Other descriptions suggest he had improbable features, like a body wrapped in fur and even slight webbing between his fingers. The fishermen took him to the nearby town of Kapuvár. There, they christened him István.

After that, the boy moved into the Eszterházys Castle, where he was entrusted to the care of Pál Rosenstingl. Though adept at catching fish and frogs while swimming, the boy failed to take to any human teaching. Unable to learn complex work, the castle residents had him fetch water and turn steaks on the fire. At some point, he earned the nickname Hany Istók. His life at the castle was that of a slave, cruel and harsh, causing István to run away several times only to be caught by dog hunting teams and brought back. His saving grace came from the bailiff’s daughter Juliska, who protected him from punishment on several occasions.

When Juliska married in 1751, István hoped to please his protector by pouring a bowl of frogs on the wedding table. For this, the castle retinue beat him, causing István to run away for the final time. Four years later, fishermen spotted him again in the swamp. Upon being noticed, however, István dived into the water, never to be seen again.

The Pyrenees People

It seems the Pyrenees Mountains once provided a haven for lost children. One of the most mysterious accounts of feral children is that of the Pyrenees Man. Shepherds discovered him in the Yraty forest in the 1770s. According to their account, the man looked to be 30 years old, lived around the rocks near the edge of the forest, and had excess hair “like a bear.” On several occasions, the man approached nearby cabins. Though he did not take anything, he enjoyed chasing sheep. He never spoke, and when his approaches bothered farmers, they would send dogs out after him. Every time, however, the man easily outran the dogs, laughing heartily as he fled. Residents suspected he became lost in childhood and survived out there on a diet of small flora and roots.

Other children of various ages were found in the Pyrenees mountains over the years. Besides two children, a boy and a girl found running on all fours in the 18th century, another girl’s account comes down to us from a similar period. Called Leroy’s savage, a teenage girl was found deep in the Issaux forest. After being left behind by friends in a snowstorm, the girl survived on roots and herbs. After being discovered by shepherds, they transported her to a Hospice in the town of Moleon. There, she remained motionless all day long, never speaking, seemingly in regret for losing her wild freedom.

John de Liège

One of the earliest accounts of feral children speaks of John of Liège, a feral boy found in the Belgian wilderness in the mid-1600s. As per an account of the boy from 1644 by Sir Kenelm Digby, John of Liège ran into the woods at the age of five to escape the clutches of conquesting soldiers. After the danger passed, his family and the rest of the village returned home. John, however, remained too afraid and stuck it out in the woods alone for sixteen years. Remarkably, he managed to survive all that time off a diet of roots and wild berries.

Around the age of 21, John of Liège was forced back into civilization after farmers caught him trying to steal food. Naked, covered in fur-like hair, and bereft of any language, he attempted to reintegrate back into society. According to the sources, he did quite well at it, eventually relearning how to speak.

During his years in wild isolation, John of Liège developed an uncanny sense of smell. Akin to a dog, he could sniff out food from incredible distances. While he managed to join the societal fold, this process robbed him of his almost supernatural olfactory abilities. In short order, he learned how to speak but lost his highly attuned senses.

Anna Maria Jennaert

In 1717, farmers found a girl in the woods of the Kranenburg Estate near Zwolle (a city in the Northeastern Netherlands). The girl was wild, unable to speak, and seemed to subsist on a diet of berries and whatever vegetables she could find. Upon discovery, farms took her to Zwolle. There, authorities attempted to uncover her real identity. After a Dutch newspaper published the girl’s information, the story spread, eventually reaching Antwerp, Belgium.

There, a woman named Anna du Chatel recognized her daughter from the published descriptions. According to her, the girl had been kidnapped at 16 months old by the mistress of a recently deceased merchant. As the merchant willed 5,000 dollars to the mistress and her baby, the woman took the child to pass off as her own and collect her inheritance. At some point, however, she abandoned the girl in the woods. Eventually, Anna du Chatel traveled to Zwolle. There, she proved the girl’s identity by comparing descriptions in an advertisement she had placed in an Antwerp newspaper shortly after the kidnapping.

After returning to Antwerp with her mother, Anna Maria Jennaert slowly reintegrated back into society. While she never learned to speak again, save a few short words, she came to recognize her mother. Later reports also suggest that Jennaert learned some domestic skills like spinning. While many wild children’s stories blur the line between fact and fiction, the Zwolle historical archives attest to Jennaert’s existence and remarkable life.

(For other kidnappings, explore the most famous kidnappings in American history. )

Peter the Wild Boy

Quite possibly the most famous story of wild children comes from the early 1700s. During a hunting expedition in the Hertswold Forest near Hanover, Germany, British King George I and his company found a wild boy. Walking on all fours and unable to speak, the boy subsisted on plants and roots for years. By the order of George’s daughter-in-law Caroline of Ansbach, the Princess of Wales, the boy was brought to Great Britain in 1726.

Upon arrival, the boy (now named Peter) elicited much curiosity and speculation in British culture. Several well-known authors wrote about his circumstances, including satirist Jonathan Swift and pamphleteer Daniel Dafoe. By all accounts, Peter the Wild Boy received royal care. After public curiosity subsided, the Princess of Wales entrusted Peter to one Dr. Arbuthnot for education. All efforts to teach the boy reading, writing, or speaking, however, failed. From there, Peter lived with various royal ancillaries until he reached Broadway Farm.

Once there, he escaped. A month or so later, a fire broke out at St Andrew’s parish which also held prisoners. Due to the emergency, the prisoners were released, including one inmate who stood out thanks to his strong frame and inability to speak, save for odd grunts. Eventually, people recognized him as Peter the Wild Boy and returned him to Broadway Farm. There, farmers fitted Peter with a collar featuring his name and address much like a pet. Despite his harsh childhood, Peter lived to be at least 70 years old. He died on February 22, 1785, and was buried at St Mary’s Church, Northchurch. Modern research suggests that Peter suffered from a chromosomal disorder called Pitt–Hopkins syndrome due to his particular features.

Victor of Aveyron

One of the most well-documented cases of feral children is that of Victor of Aveyron. Estimated to have been born around 1788, various people spotted Victor in the woods over the years but he always fled. Eventually, three hunters spotted Victor in 1797 and captured him after he climbed up a tree. They brought him to a widow in a nearby town but he quickly escaped. For the next few years, people spotted Victor in the woods at random intervals. Eventually, he emerged on his own accord in the town of Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance. Hairy, walking on four legs, and eliciting random and chaotic movements, doctors who examined the boy considered him to be mentally ill and functionally deaf.

Eventually, a medical student named Jean Marc Gaspard Itard adopted the boy and named him Victor. Despite round-the-clock training from Itard, Victor failed to learn the French language beyond a rudimentary level. He did, however, learn a sense of human empathy and progressed in terms of behavior towards other people. Eventually, Victor died of pneumonia in Paris in 1828.

Victor’s discovery and subsequent education happened within the framework of the burgeoning Enlightenment Era. Due to the era’s focus on the subject of human nature, Victor’s story became a case study in the debate between humans and animals. Modern research suggests that Victor suffered from a form of autism given his spasmodic movements and teeth grinding. Whatever the case, Victor no doubt suffered severe early trauma which stunted his ability to connect with other human beings.

Marie-Angélique Memmie Le Blanc

While all feral children cases blur the lines of possibility, one of the most controversial cases of feral children is that of Marie-Angélique Memmie Le Blanc. In 1731, farmers caught a glimpse of a woman dressed in rags stealing from an apple orchid. When hunters set their dogs on her, the woman fended them off with a wooden club. In response, a nobleman ordered her capture, which hunters pulled off successfully. While some accounts said she was ten years old at the time of capture, others suggest she was 19 years old. So begins the oft-debated, hard-to-confirm story of Marie-Angélique Memmie Le Blanc. The world first learned of her through a pamphlet published by Marie-Catherine Homassel Hecquet in 1755. Later speculation suggested that much of the story was fiction and called the veracity of Le Blanc’s story into question. In 2007, however, French surgeon and author Serge Aroles published an account of Le Blanc’s life which he had confirmed using archival research. According to him, Le Blanc was originally an American Indian who had been brought to France from Canada during an outbreak of bubonic plague. After escaping sickness, the girl walked thousands of miles through French forests, fighting off wolves using a wooden club she had fashioned. Upon capture, the girl showed signs of regression including mutism, walking on four legs, and sideways eye movements indicative of being constantly alert. Regardless of her age, the girl made an incredible recovery and fully reintegrated into society. After learning to read and write, Le Blanc became a nun in a royal abbey. At some point, she became destitute, before the Queen of France (wife of Louis XV) rescued her financially. After facing a long illness, Le Blanc died at an old age with considerable wealth. Though the story initially brought skepticism, people like French royal courtier and diarist Charles-Philippe d’Albert, poet Louis Racine, and Scottish philosopher and judge James Burnett, Lord Monboddo recorded interviews with Le Blanc herself.

Cambodian jungle girl

In January 2007, a villager in the Ratanakiri province in remote northeastern Cambodia noticed food missing from a lunch box. Eager to catch the thief, the man staked out the box and spotted a girl. She emerged from the Cambodian jungle, dirty, naked, and covered in scars. Friends of the farmer managed to capture her, though they also reported a man with the girl who ran away into the bush. Not long after her discovery, a man named Sal Lou of the Pnong ethnic minority group traveled to the village and claimed her to be his long-lost daughter. Though authorities scheduled DNA testing, the Lou family suspiciously withdrew consent.

A visiting Guardian reporter, however, suggested the girl was not feral at all but the victim of captivity or sexual and physical abuse, citing the deep scars on her appendages. Whatever the case, adapting to village life proved difficult for the girl, who often attempted to escape back into the jungle. Within a few years, she had taken to living in a small chicken coop behind the family’s huts, periodically appearing and joining them for dinner. While she did not speak, she began making eye contact with other people. After Sal Lou died in 2013, a man named Pel from Vietnam’s Gia Lai province traveled to the village and proclaimed the girl to be his missing daughter Tak.

According to him, the girl suffered a mental breakdown at the age of 23. After that, she disappeared into the jungle in 2006. Despite suggestions she had been in the jungle alone for years, Pel said she was only out there for a year. After correctly identifying several features unique to the girl and bringing in relatives and documentation regarding her birth details, immigration officials agreed. From there, the girl went to live with her (potentially) real family in Vietnam. She never learned to speak while in the Cambodian village. Her new family, however, claimed she had been like that since birth.

Ng Chhaidy

In 1974, a little girl aged four disappeared from the remote village of Theiva tucked deep inside Mizoram’s southern district of Saiha, India. Though villagers looked for her, she seemed swallowed up by the jungle, and they discontinued their search. Presumed dead, the little girl emerged from the jungle an incredible 38 years later. When villagers across the border first spotted her, she was naked with long hair and equally long fingernails. After spending five years there, Ng Chhaidy returned home to the Saiha district.

Her now-elderly parents Ng Khaila and Ng Ngola never thought they would see her again. They gave up on searching for her after a few years. Rumors, however, abounded regarding a wild girl roaming the jungles. As for Ng Chhaidy, she remembered next to nothing about her past. Though she remains very childlike, practically stuck in the mindstate of a ten-year-old, Chhaidy is fond of human interaction. Despite receiving no medical or psychological attention, the woman has taken to more human trappings.

According to an article in the DailyMail, Chhaidy wakes up each morning, washes her face, paints her nails, combs her hair, and fashions it in a hairband. While her skills remain relatively undeveloped, Chhaidy learns new words all the time as she slowly but surely integrates back into normal life. Her father said, “She loves to roam around the village, playing with children and jumping and dancing in the market. And she finally eats cooked food. She’s adapting back to the real world slowly but surely. It’s lovely to see her so happy.”

Ho Van Lang

During the chaos and brutality of the Vietnam War, Ho Van Thanh took his son Ho Van Lang and escaped deep into the jungle. According to several sources, the US bombings in Vietnam killed half of their family. In response, Van Thanh and his son disappeared into the jungle near the Tra Bong district in 1972. For over 40 years, the father-son duo survived in the jungle as wild men. There, they foraged or hunted whatever food they could find while keeping a careful distance from other people.

Over time, the pair learned how to plant crops, build hidden shelters, and live off the land. After a group trekking through the jungle spotted Lang and Thanh, seemingly in distress, they alerted a team of rescuers who found them in August 2013. While Van Thanh had managed to retain most of his language skills, Van Lang could speak but a few words. Upon hearing of the story, adventurer and entrepreneur Alvaro Cerezo sought out Van Lang. After connecting, Cerezo camped with the wild man in the jungle he had called home for decades.

After that, Cerezo documented Van Lang’s steady but difficult integration into modern life. Eventually, Van Lang took to eating processed foods and even drinking alcohol. Eight years after being discovered, however, he died of liver cancer at the age of 52. For his part, Cerezo believes the trapping of modern living expedited Van Lang’s bad health.

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