Most people know the story The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling but few would ever believe such a tale could ever be true. Russian officials however, may beg to differ. A 20 year old man was recently discovered in a forest in Belokurikha, Siberia. The man has been living in the wilderness for over 15 years.

The boy’s family chose to leave their normal lived behind and go off the grid in 1977. They built a hut in the woods where they all lived together. The family didn’t leave behind every part of their lives though, they did bring a dictionary and some supplies with them.

The young man does appear to know some English but appears to have no social skills or proper education. The whereabouts of the rest of his family is not known nor is the reason they decided to move into the wilderness with their young child.

Although the boy was questioned by Russian officials, he was not held and went back to his hut in the world to get ready for a long Siberian winter. Many residents of the nearby town have seen the man and have worried how long he can survive.

Because the boy was taken to the forest at such a young age, he has no identification and can therefore not receive assistance from the Russian government. It is expected that the government will issue an ID for the man and help him get the food, shelter and care that he needs so he can find his way back into society. This may take some time and until it happens, the young man will continue to live the only life he has known in the forest.

Image from Wikimedia Commons