WATCH: 'Monkey Boy of Uganda' and Five Other Children Raised Wild

 

In tonight's premiere of Raised Wild, Dr. Mary-Ann Ochota journeys to equatorial Africa to uncover the truth behind the rumor of young boy raised by monkeys. 

The series sets to get to the bottom of several stories of children raised in the wild who took on animalistic behaviors. In the story  of John Ssebunya, otherwise known as the "Monkey Boy of Uganda," Ochota sets out to reveal whether or not the child who was discovered to be living with vervet monkeys in 1992 exists. Learn more about the story in the clip below.

The three hour series, which premieres tonight at 9PM E/P and continues at the same time on Nov. 24 and 30, will delve deep into the world of feral children. In addition to the "Monkey Boy of Uganda," here are five other examples of children raised in the wild.

1) Oxana Malaya: As a 3-year-old, Oxana was driven from her home by parents who were unable to provide for her. She survived by living with wild dogs who roamed the streets of her Ukrainian neighborhood. When she was found at age 8, she was unable to speak beyond growling and barking like a dog. She now lives in a home for people with disablities.

2) Genie: Pseudonym for a young girl who spent the first 13 years of her life locked inside her California bedroom at the hands of her father, who would growl and bark like a dog in order to keep her quiet. She was discovered when her mother left her father Genie with her. Genie had remarkable non-verbal communication skills but not much has been written of her further development.

3) Victor of Aveyron: A young boy who apparently spent his entire childhood naked and alone in the woods before re-entering society in 1800. He was studied profusely and is the subject of several books and movies.

4) Amala and Kamala: Many claim this case is somewhat of a hoax created by The Reverend Joseph Amrito Lal Singh, who claimed he rescued the two girls from the den of a wolf in 1920. Singh claims the girls displayed wolf-like behavior at the orphanage they were brought to, but many claim they were just autistic with congenital defects.

5) Wild Child of Champagne: Known as Marie-Angélique Memmie Le Blanc, she was born in Wisconsin around 1712 and many accounts indicate she may have been sold into slavery, thus bringing her from America to France. She lived in the wild for 10 years before being found by villagers in France. According to records, she is one of the only known feral children who was able to learn a language (French) and read, write and act normally after being found.

Want to learn more? Tune into Raised Wild tonight at 9PM E/p!