Tissa, the Monkey Boy of Sri Lanka

Found with monkeys

Tissa was found in Sri Lanka in 1973, when seen walking on all fours with a group of monkeys near the village of Tissamaharama. Tissa was discovered by a woman wood-cutter called Pemawathie who captured him and named him Tissa, but handed him to the police because of his wild ways.

Tissa's feral credentials

As well as walking on all fours, Tissa exhibited other animal characteristics such as yelping and snarling at humans and eating his food off the ground, and in common with most feral children did not smile.

Tissa makes progress

However, after three months in a welfare home near the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, Tissa could smile and take food to his mouth with his hand, but couldn't talk and was still learning to stand and walk without assistance. The home, run by a Miss L P Morawake, had apparently cared for two other animal boys in the past.