Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-01-21
LEOPARD RAISES BOY
Rescued by Hunters After Living
Five Years With Animal.
Was RETURNED TO His own PEOPLE
Did Not Knew How to Speak When
Caught but Gfunted and Growled
Like Wild Th1ng-Walkcd on Ali
Eours
(From y. Y. SUM-

(From y. Y. SUM-
Bombay. India, Dec. This is the
story of native boy who was stolen
by leopard, brought up in the jungle
and returned to his own people as a
snarling animal child, running around
on all fours. The story is reported
from the North Cacher Hills, on In
dia's northeastern frontier, by Stuart
Baker. Fellow of the Geological So
ciety. in the journal Of the Bombay
Natural History Society.
Mr.. Baker had been in charge of the
forced labor for road mending near
the village of Dhunghi. Forced labor
in many parts Of India takes the place
of direct taxation. While there he
was confronted one day by a native
who said his wife recently had died
and he was the only one TO look after
his little wild son If he were taken
away to work, the boy would run back
10 the jungle.
Mr.. Baker went outside OF the court
house to sec the wild son" and there
was q boy about seven years old,
squatting on the ground like an ami
NAL. As Mr.. Baker came nearer the
boy put his head in the air and shifted
about finishing by boiling on all fours
to his father between whose legs he
backed like beast retreating into
his burrow.
Looking closely ;at the boy. Mr..
Baker says that he was nearly blind
from some form Of cataract and his
body was covered with. innumerable
white scars from =" tiny cuts and
scratches. The boys father told the
story, which Mr.. Baker believes to be
true.
About five years before Mr.. Baker
saw the father and son, the Cachari
native had killed two leopard cubs.
After the mother tracked the slayers
back to the village: she haunted the
outskirts for two days. The third day
a woman cutting rice in plantation
close to the village laid down her baby
boy on a cloth while she went on with
her work. !
Hearing a cry she turned and saw
leopard bounding away and carry
ing the child. She ron to the village
and everyone started:':on hunt for
the leopard. 1t was a: battling search.
1t was finally decided that the child
then two years, had been eaten by
the leopard. "'i .h
Three years later sportsman kill
ed female leopard ciosc to the vii
laGe EIe reported that she Fad three
cubs with hcf that he tailed to take.
On hearing this the Villagers started
to hunt for the cubs. They found two
cubs and d boy, the bo| of Mr.: Bakers
story.
Subsequently when Visiting Dhunghi
Mr.. Baker interviewed the head man
and also the man who had caught the
child. They both corroborated the
fathers story in every detail.
When the child was caught. it was
found he could run on all fours almost
as fast rs an adult can run OH two
legs and that in dodging in and out
of bushes he was miracle Of quick
ness. At that time he was suffering
from cataract only to slight extent
and he could see fairly well. Blu: his
sight became steadily worse. His
knees. even when Mr. Baker saw him.
had hard callosities on them and his
toes were upright almost at right an
giles to his instcp. The palms of his
hands and the pads Of his toes and
fingers were also covered with very
tough, horny skin. He bit and fought
with everyone who came within his
reach and any village fowl that came
near him was seized torn in pieces
and eaten with extraordinary rapidity.
When brought before Mr.. Baker the
hoy had become more or less tanned.
He walked almost upright. although
generally assuming Il crouching alti-
tudc. But when suddenly startled he
would n OIL on All iOuIS Ill fiplti
motion. AS his blindness Increased he
seemed to know by scent those villaS-
ers who took an interest in him and
he WAS very friendly.
For u long time he could not he
made to slerp in his fathers hut. He
WAS tied with rope and left to wan
der into the grass and make his bed.
But now he has been trained TO sleep
ing inside or courSc-and this has
nothing TO do with his leopard life
he has not been introduced to clothes;
no Cichari child of tender years is.
When caught he did not know how
TO speak; but grunted and Growled
like an animal; now he is gradually
learning his native tongue. Fic has
an exceptional development of muscle
for n child Of his years; he was five
years old when captured, but his
strength was such that it took two
men to handle him.
The boys blindness apparently is in
no way connected with his life in the
Jungle. Another child of the same
mother and the mother herself had the
same form Of cataract AT the same
time his defective sight may we'll have
intensified his sense of smell, the loss