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[CULTURE] · Spain · 28 sources

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Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja, Spain's ‘wolf boy,’ dies at 80

Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja, famously known as the ‘wolf boy of Sierra Morena,’ has died at the age of 80 in Ourense, Spain. His extraordinary life became a subject of international interest after he was discovered in 1965 living in the wild.

Born in 1946, Pantoja’s childhood was marked by poverty and abuse. At age seven, he was sold by his father to a goat herder in the Sierra Morena mountains. Following the death of the herder, Pantoja lived in isolation for 12 years, during which time he formed a unique bond with a pack of wolves. He learned to survive by imitating animal sounds and finding food in the wilderness, later stating that those years were the happiest of his life.

His return to civilization was traumatic; when found by the Guardia Civil at age 19, he struggled to adapt to human speech and social norms. His life story was later documented by anthropologist Gabriel Janer Manila and inspired the 2010 film ‘Entrelobos’. Pantoja spent his later years in the hamlet of Rante, where he lived until his passing on August 15.

Entities

Gabriel Janer Manila · Gerardo Olivares · Guardia Civil · Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja · Ourense · Sierra Morena

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