In 1867, a group of hunters in India's northern province of Bulandshahr was surprised to see a pack of wolves wandering through the dense jungle and following a human baby who was walking on all fours. The pack then disappeared into a cave. The hunters were forced to stop their trucks in order to observe this strange scene.

The sight of the pack of wolves following the human baby through the jungle was both surprising and terrifying to the hunters. In an effort to get the wolves out of the cave, the hunters set fire to the entrance. When the wolves reappeared, the hunters killed them and captured the human baby. The child, who was later named Dina Sanichar, was a feral child who had been raised by wolves. This miraculous discovery garnered much attention and fascination from the public.

The Case Of Wolf Child Dina Sanichar

Dina Sanichar was a six-year-old Indian boy who was believed to have been raised by wolves in the forests of Bulandshehr in Northern India. He was one of many feral children found in India over the years. The country has a long history of feral children, including those who were reportedly raised by wolves, panthers, chickens, dogs, and even gazelles. These cases have garnered much attention and fascination from the public.

Feral children, who are often depicted as miraculous and amazing characters in folklore and literature, often have tragic tales of neglect and extreme isolation in reality. While their return to the "civilized" world often makes for sensational news, they are often forgotten once the initial excitement fades, leaving behind questions about the ethics of human behavior and what makes us human. The lives of feral children serve as a reminder of the importance of human connection and the need for compassion and understanding.

After being captured, Dina Sanichar was brought to a mission-run orphanage, where he was baptized and given his new name, which means "Saturday" in Urdu. He was given this name because he was found in the jungle on a Saturday.

Father Erhardt, the head of the orphanage where Dina Sanichar was taken after being captured, noted that while Sanichar was "undoubtedly pagal (imbecile or idiotic)," he still showed signs of reason and sometimes even actual shrewdness. This observation highlights the complex nature of feral children and their abilities to adapt and survive in extreme circumstances.

Renowned child psychologist Wayne Dennis noted several bizarre psychological traits that Dina Sanichar displayed in his 1941 paper "The Significance of Feral Man," published in the American Journal of Psychology. Dennis stated that Sanichar lived in an untidy manner and ate things that civilized people would consider disgusting. These observations highlight the challenges that feral children often face when adjusting to life in a more structured and civilized society.

In his paper, he also wrote that Sanichar only ate meat, despised wearing clothes, and sharpened his teeth on bones. Despite appearing to have no capacity for language, he was not mute and made animal noises instead. He explained that feral children like Sanichar were "insensitive to heat and cold" and had "little or no attachment to human beings." These characteristics demonstrate the challenges that feral children face when trying to adapt to life in a more structured and civilized society.

The Only Person To Whom Sanichar Could Resonate

Despite his initial difficulties in adapting to life in the orphanage, Dina Sanichar formed a strong bond with another feral child who had been found in Manipuri, Uttar Pradesh and brought to the same orphanage. Father Erhardt observed that the two boys had a "strange bond of sympathy" and that the older child even taught the younger one how to drink from a cup. It is possible that their shared experiences as feral children allowed them to better understand and connect with each other.

Valentine Ball, a famous ornithologist and author of Jungle Life in India (1880), viewed Dina Sanichar as the perfect wild animal

The Stories Of Feral Children In India

For centuries, there have been myths and legends in India about feral children, particularly "wolf children," who grow up in the deep forest. These stories are not just myths, as India has a history of documenting such cases. At the same time that Dina Sanichar was discovered in a North Indian forest, four other wolf children were also reported in India, and many more have been documented over the years. The stories of these feral children have inspired writers and poets, including Rudyard Kipling, who wrote The Jungle Book, a beloved children's collection about a young "man-cub" named Mowgli who is adopted by animals after wandering into the Indian forest. Dina Sanichar has become known as the "real-life Mowgli of India" due to the similarities between his story and Kipling's fictional tale.

Here's What Happened To Dina Sanichar In The End

Father Erhardt, who acted as Sanichar's caretaker, placed him in the "reformer" camp and carefully documented his "progress." Sanichar lived the rest of his life under the care of the orphanage, but even after 20 years of human contact, he had little or no understanding of human behavior. This highlights the challenges that feral children face when trying to adapt to life in a more structured and civilized society.

The story of Romulus and Remus, twin boys who were abandoned on the bank of the Tiber River and raised by wolves before returning to civilization to found Rome, is perhaps the most well-known Western myth about feral children. This story has been passed down through the ages and continues to capture the imagination of people around the world. It is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the human spirit, and serves as a reminder of the importance of compassion and understanding.

Sanichar's story is different from the classic narrative of a wild child returning to civilization and achieving great things. Instead, it highlights the challenges that feral children face when trying to adapt to life in society. Sanichar, like many other feral children, was unable to fully assimilate and preferred to remain in an unhappy middle ground. This highlights the importance of understanding and compassion when it comes to helping feral children transition to life in the civilized world.

Despite his progress in adapting to life in the orphanage, Dina Sanichar retained many characteristics that were more akin to wild animals. He acquired the ability to walk upright on his legs, but struggled to dress himself and preferred to eat raw meat rather than cooked food. One strange habit that he acquired was smoking, and he became a prolific chain smoker. Sanichar died in 1895, with some reports suggesting that he succumbed to tuberculosis. His story serves as a reminder of the challenges and complexities of trying to help feral children adapt to life in a more structured and civilized society.

Saturday Mthiyane – A Feral Child Found In South Africa's Kwazulu Jungle

Dina Sanichar's story is reminiscent of that of another feral child, Saturday Mthiyane, who was discovered in Africa in 1987. Saturday, who was five years old at the time of his discovery, was living with monkeys near the Tugela River in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. He displayed animal-like behavior, could not speak, walked on all fours, enjoyed climbing trees, and loved fruit, especially bananas. Tragically, Saturday died in a fire in 2005. These stories illustrate the challenges and complexities of trying to help feral children adapt to life in a more structured and civilized society.