Hindu Wolf-Girls

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 237, 5 October 1940, Page 4 (Supplement)

Hindu Wolf-Girls

AFTER years spent studying historical records of "wild" men and "wolf" children, Dr. Robert M. Zingg has discovered the modern sisters of Romulus and Remus, but he has yet to find a real-life Tarzan. Dr. Zingg is associate professor of anthropology at Denver University, Colorado, U.S.A. 1 The most complete ease-history of a child with an animal foster mother is that of the wolf girls of Midnapore, India, Dr. Zingg records. The facts, he states, are vouched for by the Rev. J. A. L. Singh, Midnapore missionary, and he is about to publish Mr. Singh's diary on the case. Here is the strange story: "The natives in a remote section of the North-west Provinces told the Rev. Singh of * family of Wolves living in a huge Ant pile (they are as big as a house in India) with two creatures that appeared to be. half animal, half human," I say* Dr. Zingg. ; "They dug into the mound and dis- | covered the wolf den, in which were four forms. Two of the creatures were wolf pups. Two were children, both girls, one about one and a half years old, the other about eight. Ate Only Raw Meat "The Rev. Singh took them to his orphanage at Midnapore and attempted to wean them from their animal habits. The younger girl became known as Amain, the elder as Kamala. "At first they ate nothing but raw meat. Loin cloths were sewn upon them, but they tore them away. They walked and ran on all fours. They knawed on bones, holding them on the ground with one hand, in dog fashion. "Gradually the friendship of the younger child was stirred by Mrs. Singh through the medium most successfully employed in winning the friendship of animals —by feeding her. "This younger child aided in teaching the older one, but, unfortunately, before this had progressed very far, the younger child died. The elder child's training received a severe setback and, although she lived for nine years under the care of the Singhs she only learned about 40 words, and never came into full command of her human faculties."