Melissa Schmunk

Anthropology 1020
Reective Essay 2

Can a child really be raised by wolves? If they did, what would that child be like?
Would they grow up like Tarzan? Able to communicate, and have adult relationships
with their very own Jane Porter? The idea of wild animals raising human children isn't a
new one. Weren't Romulus and Remus, found and suckled by a she-wolf? They turned
out ok. Romulus found Rome, and Remus.well he was killed. What about Mowgli and
his Jungle Book adventures. Walking upright, talking, and according to Disney even
singing. Would a child, left on their own in the wild really thrive? Would they even
survive? I found several examples from the 1700s through the 1920s, that show
without a nurturing environment in the critical years a child will not progress. They will
not learn language, nor will they learn to interact socially with others.
Some of the earliest cases of feral children are from Europe in the 1700s. Germany in
the year 1724, the town of Hamelin recorded several sightings describing a young boy,
dark haired, and naked. He would be seen running through the elds, and was
eventually enticed to come into town. He was said to behave like a trapped animal,
and was constantly looking for ways to escape. He was given the name Peter. He
became the possession of George the First king of England. He live there until he
died, never speaking. Never once heard laughing.
A better known story of a feral child is Victor of Aveyron. He was rst seen in 1794,
near the woods of Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance. He was captured several times and each
time escaped. Like Peter, Victor behaved like a trapped animal.
In 1800, Victor was captured a nal time. He appeared to be around twelve years old,
still did not speak, and was only a boy in appearance. All of his behaviors were that of a
wild animal. He was taken in by several people. Attempts were made to nd his parents,
but none were found.From his lack of language and behavior, it was believed Victor
spent the vast majority of his life wild.
It was believed the boy had been on his own from the age of four, until he was found
at age 12. He had been alone in the woods for at least seven years. He was covered in
scars, was immune to the cold . He would eat anythinghot or cold, rotten. He often
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rocked himself back and forth .
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It became clear Victor could hear, but was eventually taken to the National Institute for
the Deaf. Here he was studied by Roch-Ambroise Cucurron Sicard. Sicard attempted
for many years to teach Victor language. Sicard became frustrated with Victors lack of
progress , and he was soon left unsupervised. He never interacted with the other
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children at the Institute. In fact, he was said to have attacked different students on
several separate occasions. When Victor, reached puberty he began harassing some
of the girls at the institute. He didn't understand his feelings, and was unable to
communicate them. After repeated incidents, he was taken into the home of a
housekeeper to live the rest of his days.
One of his care givers an abbot and biologist, Pierre Joseph Bonnepart did an experiment
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where he removed the boys clothes and took him outside in the snow. Th boy naked, was not
upset. In fact he frolicked in the snow, showing no discomfort. He was obviously used to being
cold and exposed to the elements.
Most likely a type of self soothing behavior.
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He never learned to speak but seemed to understand some actions for words He learned two
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words in his life. Laitmilk, and oh Dieuoh God.
Maybe the most famous example of feral children come from two little girls called
Kamala and Amala. They were found in 1920, west of Calcutta, squatting on huge ant
hill with wolves . The mother wolf was shot, and the two girls captured. They were
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guessed to be around the ages of two and eight. They were brought to an orphanage
where they displayed wolf like behavior. They howled at night. They had severely
calloused knees and palms from walking on all fours, they were nocturnal, and they
scratched and bit anyone who tried to feed them. They also attacked other children.
They would only eat raw meat, from a bowl on the oor. They were said to show no
human emotion other then fear. They never spoke. Amala died a year after capture .
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Kamala showed signs of mourning. After her sisters death she learned to walk up right,
stopped eating carrion, and learned around fty words. Kamala died in 1929 at the age
of 17.
There are several other examples of children surviving in the wild, none of them ever
learns to fully understand language. A feral child would be never something out of
Disney movie. They would never able to talk or interact in a normal healthy way. Verbal
language, is not something we are born with. It is a learned behavior. If not learned
within the critical period, a child be able to ever communicate. A nurturing environment
and love are essential for a child to develop in a healthy way. For child to thrive, learning
language is essential.

It is said the girls even looked like wolves, with elongated snouts and sharp canines.
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There have never been any cases of feral children being successfully integrated back into
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society, after being in the wild from a very young age.It has been suggested many die young
because they lack the ability to adapt to civilization.




Bibliography:

http://www.mysteriouspeople.com/Feral.htm
http://listverse.com/2008/03/07/10-modern-cases-of-feral-children/
http://www.damninteresting.com/feral-children/
Wild Child by T.C. Boyle