The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

[gregory nahas <lettherebemonkeys AT yahoo.com>]

Wednesday, October 6, 1999 Published at 10:07 GMT
11:07 UK 
[This is an old story, yet seemed sufficiently amazing
for submission to Monkeywire.  If it is a repeat
submission, I apologize]

UK

From monkey boy to choir boy 

John still seems able to communicate with monkeys 

An orphan boy reared by apes in the African jungle has
arrived in Britain to sing with a children's choir. 
John Ssabunnya, aged 14, was abandoned as a
two-year-old in the dense jungle of Uganda to what
seemed certain death. 
 
But a colony of African Green monkeys came across him
and adopted the real-life Tarzan as one of their own. 

He learnt their mannerisms, became adept at climbing
trees and lived on a diet of fruit, nuts and berries
for the next three years. 
 
In 1991 a tribeswoman saw him scavenging for food with
the chimps and reported it to the people in her
village. 

The naked boy was caught and taken to the Kamuzinda
Christian Orphanage, 100 miles from the Ugandan
capital Kampala, where he lived with the family of the
orphanage manager. 

For the last eight years, he has been taught to speak,
has learned human ways - and as he began to utter his
first words, it was discovered he had a fine singing
voice. 

He has now joined the 20-strong Pearl of Africa
children's choir, which has arrived in Britain for a
three-week tour. 

John's remarkable story features in a Living Proof
television documentary to be screened on BBC One on 13
October. 

The programme makers and a leading anthropologist
returned with John to a monkey troop to see how he
would behave. 

The experts say it is the most convincing recorded
case of a child being raised by wild animals. 

Mother murdered 

When villagers first found the boy and attempted to
take him away, the terrified youngster, hurled sticks
at them and hid up a tree. 

His monkey guardians put up a ferocious fight to
prevent the tribesmen taking him away, believing they
were protecting one of their own. 

John was abandoned when his mother was murdered in
1988. It is believed his father died in the civil
unrest in Uganda in the early 90s. 

A villager identified the monkey-boy as John
Ssabunnya, who disappeared at the age of three. 

He remains fiercely protective of monkeys and still
seems able to communicate with them. 

Monkeys saved his life 

Dentist Hillary Cook, a 56-year-old mother of five
from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, helped organise the
singing tour. She met John after travelling to Uganda
to offer dental treatment to some of the world's
poorest people. 

"He doesn't look any different to any of the other
children in the choir, but his is a truly remarkable
story. If it hadn't been for the monkey's intervention
he would certainly be dead. 

"He's a shy boy and still speaks slowly but when he
sings he has the most wonderful voice." 

The choir, which will perform in churches in
Merseyside, Glasgow, Sheffield, London and Wales. 

John's amazing story will be told on Living Proof, on
Wednesday 13 October on BBC One at 8pm. 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_466000/466616.stm
 

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions! 
http://auctions.yahoo.com