'Mowgli girl' Ehsaas dies at 18 in Lucknow after years of rehabilitation
Ehsaas, known as India's "Mowgli Girl", died in Lucknow on June 15 after complications from a severe lung infection. Her death has revived memories of her 2017 rescue from Bahraich and her long rehabilitation.
India's "Mowgli Girl", the teenager who was found wandering in a forest in Uttar Pradesh nearly a decade ago and later became a symbol of rehabilitation against the odds, has died at the age of 18 in Lucknow. Ehsaas, who was rescued from the Katarniaghat forest in Bahraich in 2017, succumbed to complications arising from a severe lung infection.
She breathed her last on June 15 while undergoing treatment at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow. Doctors said septicemia, a life-threatening blood infection triggered by a lung disease, was the cause of death. The development was confirmed by ACP Ghazipur Anindya Vikram Singh.
According to officials, Ehsaas had been unwell for several days and was admitted to the hospital for treatment. After her condition improved, she was discharged on June 11. However, her health deteriorated suddenly on June 15 and she was rushed back to the hospital, where she died shortly after arrival. Police completed the necessary formalities based on the hospital's death memo.
Ehsaas first captured national attention in January 2017 when she was found wandering near a road in the Motipur Range of Bahraich's Katarniaghat forest area. At the time of her rescue, she appeared completely detached from human society.
Officials said she moved on all fours, resisted wearing clothes and reacted aggressively when approached by people, drawing comparisons with the fictional character Mowgli from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.
The Bahraich Child Welfare Committee initially named her Pooja before she was shifted to the Nirvan Government Specialised Children's Home on Mohan Road in Lucknow, where she was later renamed Ehsaas.
Medical examinations revealed that her brain had not fully developed and that she suffered from intellectual disability and epileptic seizures. Despite these challenges, years of care, therapy and rehabilitation helped her make significant progress. She gradually learned to wear clothes, recognise caregivers and adapt to aspects of social life.
One of the closest bonds she formed was with caretaker Rani at the children's home. Mourning her death, Rani said Ehsaas affectionately called her "Amma" and expressed hope that she would one day recover fully.
"I always believed she would get better one day. Now only her memories remain with us," she said.
Ehsaas's story had become a symbol of resilience and rehabilitation, drawing widespread public attention after her dramatic rescue from the forests of Bahraich nearly a decade ago.
India's "Mowgli Girl", the teenager who was found wandering in a forest in Uttar Pradesh nearly a decade ago and later became a symbol of rehabilitation against the odds, has died at the age of 18 in Lucknow. Ehsaas, who was rescued from the Katarniaghat forest in Bahraich in 2017, succumbed to complications arising from a severe lung infection.
She breathed her last on June 15 while undergoing treatment at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow. Doctors said septicemia, a life-threatening blood infection triggered by a lung disease, was the cause of death. The development was confirmed by ACP Ghazipur Anindya Vikram Singh.
According to officials, Ehsaas had been unwell for several days and was admitted to the hospital for treatment. After her condition improved, she was discharged on June 11. However, her health deteriorated suddenly on June 15 and she was rushed back to the hospital, where she died shortly after arrival. Police completed the necessary formalities based on the hospital's death memo.
Ehsaas first captured national attention in January 2017 when she was found wandering near a road in the Motipur Range of Bahraich's Katarniaghat forest area. At the time of her rescue, she appeared completely detached from human society.
Officials said she moved on all fours, resisted wearing clothes and reacted aggressively when approached by people, drawing comparisons with the fictional character Mowgli from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.
The Bahraich Child Welfare Committee initially named her Pooja before she was shifted to the Nirvan Government Specialised Children's Home on Mohan Road in Lucknow, where she was later renamed Ehsaas.
Medical examinations revealed that her brain had not fully developed and that she suffered from intellectual disability and epileptic seizures. Despite these challenges, years of care, therapy and rehabilitation helped her make significant progress. She gradually learned to wear clothes, recognise caregivers and adapt to aspects of social life.
One of the closest bonds she formed was with caretaker Rani at the children's home. Mourning her death, Rani said Ehsaas affectionately called her "Amma" and expressed hope that she would one day recover fully.
"I always believed she would get better one day. Now only her memories remain with us," she said.
Ehsaas's story had become a symbol of resilience and rehabilitation, drawing widespread public attention after her dramatic rescue from the forests of Bahraich nearly a decade ago.
