How Did ‘Siberian Mowgli’ Live For 16 Years In The Forest?

A young man, aged about 20, has emerged from the Siberian wilderness where he lived for the past 16 years. The man has been dubbed the “Siberian Mowgli” and “Forest Boy” by local authorities, who are in shock that he is even alive.

The man, who doesn’t seem to have a name, apparently lived in a small hut, deep in the Siberian forest near to the Russian town of Belokurikha. The man was found roaming in the town, having left the forest at the end of the summer after his parents, with whom he lived, went missing in May.

Although the man and his family are not thought to be religious, they apparently moved to the remote hut in the forest in 1993 in order not to be part of society anymore. The region, in the south of Siberia near to the stunning Altai mountains, is known for its baking hot summers and cruel, bitter winters.

A local prosecutor, Roman Fomin, spoke to AFP about the case. He said that a local woman had brought the man to the authorities, fearing that he wouldn’t make it through the upcoming winter.

The officials in Fomin’s office were so worried that the nameless man would die if he spent the winter alone in the forest that they appealed to the state to have the man’s identification documents reinstated so that he could get the state support he needed to relocate and integrate back into society.

‘”I am not sure if he needs all this attention. He looked normal and healthy. He only spoke slowly, since he doesn’t communicate as often as most people,” Fomin said.

He concluded: “He (the Siberian Mowgli) was just afraid that he won’t survive the winter without his parents. But maybe they have already come back.”