Nearly nine years after she was found wandering alone in the forests of Uttar Pradesh, Ehsaas, widely known across India as the “Mowgli girl”, has died at the age of 18, bringing to an end a life that became a rare and deeply human story of rescue, rehabilitation and resilience.
Officials said Ehsaas died at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow on June 15. According to the post-mortem report, the cause of the death was septicaemia, resulting from a lung disease.
Ehsaas first came into public view in January 2017 when she was spotted wandering on a road in Motipur range of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Bahraich district. The sight startled rescuers. She appeared to have had very limited contact with human society, moved on all fours, avoided people, refused to wear clothes and communicated through screams and gestures.
The circumstances of her discovery drew comparisons with Rudyard Kipling’s fictional jungle child, Mowgli, and she soon came to be known nationwide as the “Mowgli girl”. Yet the label only partly reflected the story that unfolded over the following years.
After her rescue, the Child Welfare Committee in Bahraich initially named her Pooja. She was later renamed Ehsaas and shifted to the Mohan Road-based Nirvan Rajkiya Bal Grih Visheshikrit in Lucknow, where she spent most of her life under specialised care.
What followed was a long and challenging process of rehabilitation. According to Nirvan Foundation chairman Suresh Singh Dhapola, years of medical treatment, care and support gradually helped her adapt to life among people. Over time, she learnt to wear clothes, recognise caregivers and respond to affection.
Among those closest to her was caretaker Rani, whom Ehsaas affectionately called “Amma”.
“She used to call me Amma. I always hoped she would recover further. Now, all we have are her memories,” Rani said.
Despite the progress she made, doctors found that her brain had remained severely underdeveloped, leaving her with intellectual disabilities. She also suffered recurrent epileptic seizures and remained under treatment for years.
Her health worsened earlier this month when she fell ill and was admitted to a hospital on June 8. She was discharged on June 11 after showing signs of improvement. However, her condition deteriorated again on June 15.
According to the ACP, Ghazipur, Anindiya Vikram Singh, she was rushed back to the hospital but died shortly after arrival. The police later completed inquest proceedings following the hospital’s death memo.
For many Indians, she remained the mysterious child discovered in a forest in 2017. For those who spent years caring for her, however, Ehsaas was far more than the nickname that followed her throughout her life. Her journey reflected the difficulties of rehabilitation after an extraordinary beginning, as well as the bonds of care that helped her navigate a world she once seemed unable to understand.
