Goongi

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Batsipur wolf boy

The Mauritanian Gazelle Boy

True or false?

The first gazelle-boy story is from around 1900 and comes from one Sidi Dah Ould Haiba of Dakar. You can make up your own mind whether or not you believe it.

Wet-nursed by a Gazelle

The boy of Aftout-es-Saheli in former French Mauritania was apparently wet-nursed by a gazelle because his mother was unable to feed him (to use a sheep or goat for such a purpose was not unusual in those parts). Once the child could crawl and then walk, he would take himself to the gazelle to feed, and eventually was able to follow the gazelle around, holding its tether.

Wandered off with the Gazelles

One day the gazelle wandered off to follow a herd of wild gazelles, with the boy still in tow. Eventually the herd became accustomed to the gazelle and her strange companion, and the Mauritanian Gazelle Boy lived with the herd for some years before he was eventually captured.

Kills his own adoptive mother

It was a long time before he was taught to speak. He became a hunter and is said to have died with shock and grief when he realised that a gazelle he took his knife to was his former wet nurse. A likely story.