‘She used to call me Amma’: India’s ‘Mowgli Girl,’ found in forest in 2017, dies

Nearly a decade after a young girl wandering alone through the dense forests of Katarniaghat in Uttar Pradesh captivated the country as a real-life “Mowgli,” her life came to an end on 15 June.

Hindustan Times reported, citing officials, that she died on 15 June at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS).

A post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be septicaemia arising from a lung infection. Police later completed inquest formalities following the hospital’s death report.

She had been admitted on 8 June after falling ill and was discharged on 11 June once her condition briefly improved. However, her health worsened again on 15 June, and she was rushed back to the hospital, where she died shortly after arrival, according to ACP (Ghazipur) Anindiya Vikram Singh.

How was Ehsaas rescued?

She first came to public attention in January 2017 when she was found alone on a road in the Motipur range of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Bahraich, according to reports.

Found with little apparent connection to human society, she exhibited behaviour that alarmed and puzzled officials and doctors, showing fear of people, refusing to wear clothes, moving on all fours, screaming like an animal, and struggling to engage in normal human interaction.

According to a report by the Times of India, the Child Welfare Committee in Bahraich initially named her Pooja, while she was later renamed Ehsaas at the Nirvan Rajkiya Bal Grah Visheshikrit in Mohan Road. After initial treatment at the Bahraich district hospital, she was transferred to the Nirvan Foundation in April 2017.

Signs of improvement

Foundation chairman Suresh Singh Dhapola said early signs of improvement emerged under the care of staff members Maya and Renu.

“She used to call me Amma. I always hoped she would recover further. Now, all we have are her memories,” Rani said.

Her case drew comparisons to Rudyard Kipling’s fictional character Mowgli.

Despite years of rehabilitation efforts, doctors concluded that her brain development remained severely limited, resulting in significant intellectual disability. She also suffered from recurring epileptic seizures and remained under long-term medical care.

Earlier this month, she was admitted to the hospital on 8 June after falling ill and discharged on 11 June when her condition temporarily improved. However, her health worsened again on 15 June.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ghazipur) Anindiya Vikram Singh, she was rushed back to the hospital but was declared dead shortly after arrival. Police completed inquest formalities following the hospital’s death report, according to a report by HT.