Podcast Summary: Heart Starts Pounding – Episode 166

Title: Feral Children: The Wolf Girl of Devils River, The Ukrainian Dog Girl, and The Kellogg Experiment
Host: Kayla Moore
Date: March 5, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the haunting true stories and legends of feral children—children abandoned or separated from human society and raised by animals or in isolation. Host Kayla Moore explores the psychological mysteries arising from such stories, focusing on the real-life cases of Oksana Malaya (the Ukrainian “Dog Girl”), the legendary Wolf Girl of Devil’s River, the much-publicized (and later discredited) story of Amala and Kamala from India, and the infamous Kellogg experiment that sought to raise a chimpanzee alongside a human child. The episode interrogates our understanding of what it means to be human and how environment and trauma shape identity and survival.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Oksana Malaya, the Ukrainian Dog Girl

(02:57–14:04)

• Summary of Discovery:
  • In 1991, villagers in Ukraine discovered 8-year-old Oksana Malaya living with dogs, exhibiting canine behaviors: running on all fours, growling, barking, sniffing people, and eating from the ground.
  • Oksana’s parents were severe alcoholics and neglected her, leading her at age three to seek warmth and comfort in the family kennel. She stayed five years, only interacting with dogs.
• Behavioral Effects:
  • Oksana adapted to her environment, losing human behaviors and communicating almost entirely like a dog—barking, panting, and licking herself clean.
  • “She had this full vocabulary of dog sounds that she used the way any dog would.” (05:03, Kayla Moore)
• Scientific and Psychological Insights:
  • Oksana’s case revealed much about the “critical period” in childhood development—especially for language and social skills.
  • “The brain stops waiting for those inputs, and instead, it just prunes away the unused neural pathways and moves on.” (06:35, Kayla Moore)
  • Due to some early language exposure, Oksana could eventually relearn speech, but deep developmental limits remained.
  • Assessments later found her cognitive and motor skills comparable to those of a six-year-old, even as an adult.
• Lingering Trauma and Humanity:
  • Though her behaviors became more ‘human,’ emotional scars remained. Quoting Oksana:
    “When I feel lonely, I find myself doing anything. I crawl on all fours. This is how lonely I feel.” (11:45)
  • Kayla highlights how love and acceptance from dogs replaced what was missing from humans, raising questions about human nature versus environment.

2. The Wolf Girl of Devil’s River

(15:00–23:30)

• Legendary Origin:
  • Set in 1845 Texas, sightings of a naked, wild girl running with wolves spread fear and intrigue.
  • Story traces back to a frontier tragedy: in 1835, after a storm kills her parents, a baby is presumed taken by wolves near Devil’s River.
• Community Accounts:
  • Multiple reports across years describe a child moving on all fours with wolves, attacking livestock.
  • Search parties attempted to capture the girl, but she eluded them, howling and protected by wolves.
  • “She was howling like a wolf. The wolves started howling back at her. All the horses panicked, but the men couldn’t catch her.” (21:30, Kayla Moore)
• Historical Ambiguity:
  • No rescue or documentation—her existence blurs the line between legend and possible reality.
  • Kayla notes: “People have started questioning if these stories were anything more than just legends.” (22:53)

3. Amala and Kamala: The Indian Wolf Children Case

(23:30–32:22)

• The Claimed Narrative:
  • Anglican missionary Joseph Singh reported “ghost” girls living with wolves in Bengal, India (1920).
  • Singh described them crawling, calloused, eating raw meat, and being entirely ‘wolf-like.’
• Truth Behind the Myth:
  • The myth gained global attention and was included in psychology textbooks as proof of socialization's crucial role.
  • However, evidence emerged that Singh fabricated many details:
    • Villagers claim the girls were found in a hut, not a wolf den.
    • Singh’s journal, written years after the girls’ deaths, contains staged photos and dramatized events.
    • A medical doctor stated the girls lacked the ‘wolf-like’ characteristics described.
  • “Singh had forced Kamala to perform like a wolf for visitors … the whole thing was for money.” (30:45, Kayla Moore)
• Modern Interpretation:
  • Likely, the girls suffered from developmental disorders and were abandoned, with their otherness misinterpreted as animalistic.

4. The Kellogg Experiment: Raising a Chimpanzee as a Human

(32:22–40:20)

• Experiment Overview:
  • In 1931, psychologist Winthrop Kellogg and his wife raised their 10-month-old son, Donald, alongside Gua, a 7-month-old chimpanzee, as siblings.
  • Both were treated identically—same clothes, food, tests (some quite unorthodox and unethical by today’s standards).
  • Examples: “They would spin Donald around in a high chair until he cried” and “test the pair’s startle reflexes by firing a gun behind them.” (34:57, Kayla Moore)
• Findings and Unintended Consequences:
  • Initially, Gua acquired human-like behaviors (using utensils, following English commands).
  • Unexpectedly, Donald began mimicking chimp behavior: barking, grunting, crawling, stunted language development.
  • “His innate humanity was a lot more malleable than her innate chimpanity. Chimpness. You get what I’m saying.” (37:20)
  • The experiment was abruptly ended after 9 months, likely out of concern for Donald’s well-being.
• Aftermath:
  • Donald grew up to become a psychiatrist but later died by suicide. There’s no concrete evidence the experiment contributed, though it raises ethical questions about using children in extreme research.
  • Kayla emphasizes: “The Kellogg experiment asks a question that the other cases of feral children also ask: what makes us human?” (39:10)
  • Adaptability and survival, rather than “pure” socialization, may be at the core of human nature.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “She could identify people by scent before she even saw them.” (05:30, Kayla Moore, on Oksana Malaya)
• “The brain stops waiting for those inputs, and instead, it just prunes away the unused neural pathways and moves on.” (06:35, on critical period in childhood)
• “When I feel lonely, I find myself doing anything. I crawl on all fours. This is how lonely I feel.” (11:45, Oksana Malaya’s interview)
• “She was howling like a wolf. The wolves started howling back at her.” (21:30, on the Wolf Girl)
• “The whole thing was for money. Aroles said that it was, quote, the most scandalous swindle concerning feral children.” (30:45, on Singh’s fraud)
• “His innate humanity was a lot more malleable than her innate chimpanity. Chimpness. You get what I’m saying.” (37:20, Kayla Moore, on the Kellogg experiment)
• “Is our humanity so weak that we start becoming feral when exposed to wild animals? Or is our ability to adapt part of our humanity?” (40:35, Kayla Moore, challenging the listener)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Oksana Malaya and Critical Periods – 02:57–14:04
• The Wolf Girl of Devil’s River – 15:00–23:30
• Amala and Kamala / Dissecting the Myth – 23:30–32:22
• The Kellogg Experiment – 32:22–40:20
• Closing Reflection and Listener Challenge – 40:20–41:40

Final Reflection & Tone

Kayla Moore closes the episode by turning the question of feral children back toward the listener:

“Is our humanity so weak that we start becoming feral when exposed to wild animals? Or is our ability to adapt part of our humanity? … I think the ability to adapt to their environment for survival is something that makes them even more human.” (40:35)

The tone is both dark and thoughtful with threads of empathy and skepticism woven throughout, maintaining the show’s signature mix of spooky storytelling and critical inquiry.

For further discussion, bonus stories, and listener interaction, Kayla invites the audience to comment and check out related Patreon content.