‘Mowgli’ Girl Update: Child Found Abandoned In Indian Forest Shows Steady Improvement

The 8-year-old girl who was found in a wildlife sanctuary in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has shown considerable improvement in her health as well as behavior, officials at the rehabilitation center where she is currently living said Monday.

The young girl's story bore a striking resemblance to Mowgli, the boy brought up by a pack of wolves in Rudyard Kipling's “The Jungle Book” -- which led to her being dubbed the "Mowgli girl" and getting widespread global media coverage. She was found by forest officials on a routine patrol in Motipur range of Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, near the Nepal border, around two months ago and did not appear to understand any language.

Read: Man Claims That ‘Mowgli’ Girl Is His Missing Niece, Report Says

The young child, who has now been named Ehasas, walked on all fours and screeched when officers approached her, much like a monkey, early media reports said. Some reports also said she was found in the company of monkeys, which was later denied by the police. There is speculation that the child may have been abandoned in the forest because she could be suffering from a mental illness.

However, Ehasas seems to be getting back to normal life rapidly and S.S. Dhopal of the Nirvan Rehab Center – the nonprofit where she was transferred to – was quoted as saying by the Indian newspaper Financial Express, “ We will conduct an IQ test of her soon. I am confident she would start living like humans gradually.”

“Earlier, she used to throw away plates and glasses, now she has learnt to eat and drink from them,” another official at the Lucknow-based rehabilitation center said. “So she is improving.”

The chief medical officer at the hospital where the child was admitted before being moved to the nonprofit said Ehasas was initially terrified of human beings, giving rise to suspicion that she may have been living among animals for a while.

“The girl was found two months back, eats and walks like animals, and runs away on seeing humans,” CMO D.K. Singh said at the time. “She has marks on her skin, looks like she has lived with animals for quite some time. Now she is better and healthy, showing improvement.”

On Sunday, a man who identified himself as Bhullan Ali visited the girl at the Nirvan center and claimed that the girl is his niece Aleeza who went missing last March. However, the officials at the hospital were not convinced by Ali’s claim. They also said she will not be handed over to anyone without first conducting a DNA test to establish their relationship with her.