Child found living with monkeys

[Catherine]

A girl around 10 years old was spotted living with a group of monkeys in northern India. She was captured and taken to a hospital where they are working with her. She has probably been with the  monkeys for years. She does not have human habits. She clearly learned to be a monkey.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0


http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0


It is going to take a lot of work to socialize her as a human child. She has not learned speech.
The odd thing is that they can't seem to figure out who she is. They are searching  missing children records, but so far they have not identified her.

However young she was when she was lost, the monkeys accepted her and raised her.  They are the social group she felt connected to. I am sure the monkeys are upset by her loss. I wonder how she feels. I wonder if she will ever be able to tell us.

[Tobi]

I like stories of children living with animals.

My personal view (though I don't expect anyone to agree) is that the little girl would have probably been better off left alone to her life with the monkeys. But that's what I always feel with such rare cases. And I admit my view is not sensible.

[Catherine]

I had the same thought. She wasn't well though. The monkey diet wouldn't work for her. They can eat leaves and bark. As a human she can't digest that. I think she would have been lacking in protein. Still. the way she was taken away was frightening or her. I wish the could have coaxed her away gradually. They could have brought her food and blankets and won her over. Then her first encounter with humans would have been kind and friendly, not a kidnapping from the monkey family that raised her.

I wonder what will happen to her. I think children raised by animals never quite fit in. It is interesting that animals have no trouble accepting a human child in their midst.

[Tobi]

Yes of course, malnutrition is important. Many things from the monkeys' diet she could have eaten, but some things of course not. And for her own health I suppose she needed some assistance. But you are right, she was taken in what must have been a frightening and shocking way for her -and her companions (her 'family')

There was a girl named Oxana. She was raised by dogs in the Ukraine. I don't know if you've seen any videos of her?
https://keepinitrealevanston.wordpress.c...-dog-girl/

Sadly she has lived in a mental institution for a long time and it's said that she lacks the skills to survive. Even her boyfriend was freaked out by her.

[Catherine]

There seems to be no hope for a normal life for these children. The can't fit completely into human society and they can't stay with the animals who raised them.

I wonder about the IQ test that Oxana took. She tests very low, but these tests are based on knowledge of your own society. She would have no knowledge of that. How could they ever test her actual intelligence. She is clever enough to have adapted back into human society. That requires some intelligence. A six year old child couldn't do it and yet they say she has the intelligence of a six year old. Rather she has the knowledge of a six year old. That is completely different.

I wonder what will become of the child in India. Right now she is not too well adjusted.

It is sad, animals save the child from death, but they create a situation where the child can never fit in.