A girl, believed to be 10 to 12-years-old, was emaciated, unable to speak and not wearing any clothes when she was found living with monkeys in northern India earlier this year.
The chief medical superintendent of the hospital, D.K Singh, said the young girl initially behaved like an animal – eating food directly off the floor and running around on her arms and legs.
Local woodcutters saw her roaming with monkeys in the forest and called the police.
“They said the girl was naked and was very comfortable in the company of monkeys,” police officer Dinesh Tripathi told the Associated Press. “When they tried to rescue the girl, they were chased away by the monkeys.”
When police entered the Kataniya Ghat forest range to rescue the girl, they too were attacked by the monkeys.
“When he called the girl, the monkeys attacked him but he was able to rescue the girl,” Tripathi explained.
“He sped away with her in his police car while the monkeys gave chase.”
Over the last two months, the girl has received treatment and is gradually getting better, but she becomes violent quickly and is frightened at the sight of humans, according to Times of India.
She has begun walking normally and eating with her hands.
“She is still not able to speak, but understands whatever you tell her and even smiles,” Singh said.
Police are now scouring missing children reports to try and identify who the girl is and how she got into the forest.
She will be sent to a home for juveniles while police try to identify her.
