The story of a modern Mowgli: how a boy from the forests of Rwanda who lived with wild animals has changed (before and after photos)
The story of a young man who ran away from home to live among wild animals in the forests of Rwanda ended with a happy ending. Zanzimana Elli, nicknamed "the real Mowgli," became famous thanks to a documentary about his life that appeared on YouTube in 2021.
The young man was so named because of the similarity of his story to the adventures of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves from the famous Disney movie The Jungle Book. This was reported by the Daily Star.
The documentary showed Zanzimana living in the forest, eating grass and bananas with wild animals.
Ellie was forced to run away from home because cruel bullies constantly bullied him because of his appearance, even calling him a "monkey."
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He was diagnosed with microcephaly, a condition in which a child is born with an abnormally small head.
His life changed when a film crew came to Rwanda to make a documentary about him. Thanks to this movie, Ellie was able to reunite with his family.
Today, Zanzimana is 25 years old and hardly recognizable when he last appeared in the media.
The documentary filmmakers from Afrimax TV set up a GoFundMe page, where they collected many donations from around the world. This allowed Zanziman and his mother to start a new life. Footage from 2022 shows Ellie in her school uniform enjoying life at home with her mother. She calls his transformation a "miracle."
The funds raised made it possible to send him to a specialized school in the center of Ubumwe in Rwanda. Zanziman's mother said: "God works miracles. He used to be laughed at, and now he goes to school with other children. I am very happy. My son has a good life now, and thanks to good people we have our own house... My grief is gone."
In their new home, Zanziman has his own room, and he and his mom still can't believe they now have a TV. "We lived in an old house that could collapse at any moment. I never thought my dreams would come true. Now we have everything we need for a happy life. This is a real paradise. And this device where I can see people talking to me (the TV) - I won't feel lonely anymore," she says.
The latest news about Zanziman indicates that he has learned to ride a bicycle, takes care of himself and washes his own clothes.
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