John Ssebunya, the Ugandan Monkey Boy
Age when found: 6
Location: Uganda
Years in the wild: 3
Animals: monkeys
John Ssebunya was born in the mid 1980s, but ran away from home (probably aged around three) after seeing his mother murdered by his own father. It is generally accepted that John Ssebunya was cared for at least to some extent by green African (vervet) monkeys while in the jungle. John was found by a tribeswoman or girl (called Millie) in 1991, hiding in a tree. She returned with menfolk from the village and, as is so often the case, not only did John resist capture but also his adoptive family came to his defence, throwing sticks at the villagers.
Initial reports suggest John Ssebunya’s entire body was covered with hair called hypertrichosis. When he defecated, he excreted worms over half a metre long. Once captured and cleaned up — he was covered in scars and wounds, with knees scarred from crawling — he was identified as John Ssebunya. He was given by Millie to the care of Paul and Molly Wasswa, who run a charitable foundation for orphans. He couldn’t talk or cry initially, but has subsequently learned to speak. This suggests that he may have learned some speech before his stay in the wild.
John now not only talks but also sings, and tours with the Pearl of Africa children’s choir. John was the subject of the BBC documentary Living Proof, screened on 13 October 1999.
