Woman raised by monkeys floored after seeing her own face for the first time
Marina Chapman says she was just four when she was kidnapped and left in a Colombian rainforest, where she claims she was raised by capuchin monkeys for years
Marina Chapman was just four years of age when she was abducted by trafficking gangs, who subsequently abandoned her deep within a Colombian rainforest, where she would spend the following five years being raised by monkeys. Her extraordinary jungle existence included several brushes with death, yet she has now disclosed that the most transformative experience came when she stumbled upon a mirror.
When asked whether the monkeys felt like family to her, she replied: "I felt like I was part of them because of the hands. They behave like a human. I was shocked when I found a piece of mirror. It was a shock of my life because I didn't realise about my face.
"It was the first time I saw my face. For me, I just thought, I am not like a monkey. I felt like I was related to them. I was beginning to feel a little bit confused. I don't think I speak any language. I think I forgot my own language because I began to recognise the noises."
Marina, now in her mid-70, recalls how she gradually befriended a troupe of black and white capuchin primate monkeys, who initially paid her no attention before slowly warming to her, clambering onto her shoulders and playing with her hair.
She explained that this connection provided enormous solace during a period when she was utterly alone and desperately hoping for rescue. Marina survived by eating their leftover food and eventually learnt to understand the various sounds they produced.
Recounting the remarkable moment a monkey saved her life, she told OMG Stories Up Close: "I was just looking at this old monkey and I was really crying out and I was feeling very desperate. So he just walked towards me and he grabbed me forcefully and he pulled me into the water straight. It was a puddle of water, it wasn't very deep. He put me there and he held me and I was just trying to push back.
"I drank so much water and I was quite sick after until I looked at his face. He was staring at me. I realised something about his eyes, he didn't want to kill me. I just thought there was something special about when I looked at his eyes. I felt he was a good monkey. He didn't want to kill. But I felt better in my stomach after a while."
Following several years in the jungle, Marina was seized by hunters and transported to Cucata, where she was placed in a brothel, though she fortunately managed to flee. This escape, however, left her destitute, forcing her to survive on the streets and shelter in parks.
On one particular evening, police took her in and provided her with a bed for the night, before ensuring she received breakfast the next morning, which she described as "very special". However, upon being asked about her parents, Marina revealed she had no knowledge of their identity, explaining that she had been raised amongst monkeys.
She recalled: "The person laughed, really laughed in my face. It was just very offensive and the way they did it because I said I come from the monkeys and I never wanted to tell anybody that. I became quite frightened about it and I ate my breakfast and they let me go again."
Marina was ultimately taken in by a couple from Bradford, who subsequently relocated her to the UK, and her real parents were never located. She revealed she was unable to operate door handles, use cutlery, and felt "completely useless" at trying to be a human.
Despite these challenges, she went on to flourish, writing a book about her extraordinary experiences entitled The Girl With No Name. She also married and today has two daughters and two grandchildren.
For years she has searched for the forest from which she was taken, yet has been unable to locate it. Marina even expressed hope that the kidnappers responsible for removing her from the jungle might see her interview and reveal its whereabouts.
The mother confirmed she would not report them to the authorities if they remained alive today, adding: "One day they might come and say 'this is the jungle we took you out of' or something. I won't do anything to them. That's my wishful thinking that it could happen."
