'Werewolf Boy': The Wild Child of Russia

December 21, 2007 2:30 PM

Like Victor, the Wild Boy of Aveyron (made famous through François Truffaut's film L'Enfant Sauvage), a modern-day feral child, known as 'werewolf boy ' "who snarls and bites [has] escaped from a Moscow clinic just a day after being rescued from the wild." "The boy, who looks about ten, moves around with his legs half bent and 'was running with wolves and searching for food with them.' Police, who named him Lyokha, said villagers found him in a lair made of leaves and sticks in freezing temperatures." ^* [Feral Children previously on MeFi - 1, 2]
posted by ericb (15 comments total)

His nails on his feet were like claws.

That is to say, they had not been trimmed lately.
posted by cortex at 3:57 PM on December 21, 2007

FREE WEREWOLF BOY
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:14 PM on December 21, 2007

"rescued"
posted by dmd at 4:30 PM on December 21, 2007

I'm always a bit suss about these stories. For example: "freezing termperatures"?

Let me guess. A wolf or 3 kept him warm at night all these years.

Don't get me wrong, but. I want to believe. It's just that annoying bullshit alarm that keeps spoiling things for me.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 4:48 PM on December 21, 2007

um ... it appears that werewolf boy already is free.

this truly is a fascinating phenomena. at least, with the children who were apparently abandoned & adopted by wild animals, vs. those who were abused & neglected by their human ... caretakers? the story of genie is really heartbreaking where it says While she seemed to understand a few words, the only words she could say were, "stopit" and "nomore." even more depressing, the government funding was pulled and the girl was returned to her mother (!), who couldn't care for her (duh), so she was put into a series of foster homes, where she was abused at least one other time. how messed up is that?

i hear your bullshit alarm, uncanny, but i choose to believe it's warped enough to be true. i want to believe that everyone grows up in a house on the hill with a white picket fence and the sky is always sunny & bright, but i know better. there are some really sick phucks in this world.
posted by msconduct at 5:00 PM on December 21, 2007

Such cases are not uncommon in Russia where there have been regular reports of 'Mowgli' children abandoned by their parents who are cared for by animals.

Folk stories become factual reporting in the blink of an eye: only in the Daily Mail.
posted by KokuRyu at 5:29 PM on December 21, 2007

After 20 years online, why am I still surprised that there would be a site dedicated to feral children?
posted by maxwelton at 6:45 PM on December 21, 2007

um ... it appears that werewolf boy already is free.

I'm sorry. What I meant to say was:

FREE WEREWOLF BOY*
*while supplies last

Actual apprehension of werewolf boy is kind of on you, though. Good luck with that!
posted by kittens for breakfast at 6:58 PM on December 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

Such cases are not uncommon in Russia...

Well, that goes a long way towards explaining Vladimir Putin.
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:23 PM on December 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

Those feet in the one picture don't belong with the little boy in the other picture.
posted by semmi at 8:08 PM on December 21, 2007

Bat Boy > Werewolf Boy
posted by yhbc at 8:11 PM on December 21, 2007

So... this "werewolf" boy, he was your average suburban lad until bitten by a supernatural creature, and now struggles with the curse of becoming a bloodthirsty canine at the waning of each new moon? Did the Daily Mail recruit their copy editors from the ranks of the defunct World Weekly News?

That said, I hope the kid is safe, and finds some sort of peace within his new world.
posted by maryh at 3:43 AM on December 22, 2007

Oh, er, what yhbc said. Also, nicely constructed fpp, ericb, although Genie's story is really one of the most bitterly depressing things I've ever read.
posted by maryh at 3:47 AM on December 22, 2007

I wonder if Rubber Johnny is based on Genie?
posted by Mr_Zero at 8:25 AM on December 22, 2007

The NOVA documentary on Genie ("Secret of the Wild Child") is also heart-breaking and depressing.
posted by ericb at 10:03 AM on December 22, 2007