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'Wild Cambodia jungle-girl' found | 'Wild Cambodia jungle-girl' found |
(about 16 hours later) | |
A Cambodian girl who disappeared aged eight has been found after living wild in the jungle for 19 years, police say. | |
The girl is believed to be Rochom P'ngieng, who disappeared while tending buffalo on the edge of the jungle in remote northern Rattanakiri province. | |
Her father says he has identified her through scars and will have DNA tests taken to prove she is his daughter. | |
But the BBC's Guy De Launey in Phnom Penh says there are other possibilities to her identity. | |
Members of Vietnamese hill tribes often cross into Cambodia through the jungles, he says. | |
Many are seeking asylum from religious persecution and are keen to avoid contact with the authorities, he adds. | |
'Bare bones' | 'Bare bones' |
Local police said the woman was "half-human and half-animal" and could not speak any intelligible language. | |
Her plight came to light when a villager noticed some of his food had been taken and staked out the area, which is 350km (220 miles) north-east of Phnom Penh. | |
She was shaking and picking up grains of rice from the ground to eat Sal Lou, father | She was shaking and picking up grains of rice from the ground to eat Sal Lou, father |
Deputy provincial police chief Chea Bunthoeun told Associated Press news agency: "He spotted a naked human being, who looked like a jungle person, sneaking in to steal his rice." | Deputy provincial police chief Chea Bunthoeun told Associated Press news agency: "He spotted a naked human being, who looked like a jungle person, sneaking in to steal his rice." |
The villager and some friends then caught the woman. | The villager and some friends then caught the woman. |
Sal Lou, a village policeman, said he recognised the woman as his daughter from a scar on her right arm. | Sal Lou, a village policeman, said he recognised the woman as his daughter from a scar on her right arm. |
He said: "When I saw her, she was naked and walking in a bending-forward position like a monkey... She was bare bones. | He said: "When I saw her, she was naked and walking in a bending-forward position like a monkey... She was bare bones. |
"She was shaking and picking up grains of rice from the ground to eat." | "She was shaking and picking up grains of rice from the ground to eat." |
Mr Sal Lou said the family was now watching her closely after she took her clothes off and suggested she would return to the jungle. | Mr Sal Lou said the family was now watching her closely after she took her clothes off and suggested she would return to the jungle. |
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