VietNamNet Bridge - After several days getting acquainted with modern life, Mr. Ho Van Thanh and his son – Ho Van Loan – were still longing for their hut on the tree in the jungle. Thanh kept muttering "Tra xu mo got” (i.e., I want to return to the jungle to visit the fields).

The 2m2 hut atop an ancient tree of the “wild men”

Quang Ngai: Wild men rescued

Three days after returning from the forest, Thanh (right) and his son – Loan - have the opportunity to chat together.

Three days after returning to his village after 40 years of living in the forest, Thanh and Loan were very sad and almost sleepless at night. Exhausted at the Tay Tra District Hospital, Quang Ngai province, but every time he opened the eyes, he struggled to return to the forest.

Mr. Ho Van Tri, who took care his father in the hospital, said that his father kept muttering “Tra xu mo got” (the language of Cor ethnic people) meaning I wanted to return to the jungle to visit my fields.

"In the first two days, he only drank milk. On the third day he demanded porridge cooked with red rice. I and my wife took turns to look at him at the hospital, afraid that he would run into the woods again," said Tri.

According to Tri, once waking up, Thanh looked out the window and searched under the bed. It turned out that he was worried about his son - Loan.

One night, when doctors turned off the light in the emergency room for patients to sleep, they panicked when Thanh suddenly sat up and hid himself under the bed and moaned like an animal. Doctors had to turn on the light and convinced him to go to bed.

Meanwhile, Loan who stayed at the home of his cousin – Mr. Ho Minh Lam in Tra Phong commune – also missed his wild life like his father. On the morning of August 9, Lam’s family members discovered that Loan left the home.

"Loan hugged a bamboo tube containing tobacco and a lime jar and ran out to find the way back to the forest. Fortunately, some kids saw him and called us to bring him back," said Lam.

Back home, Loan was in a stupor and did not understand why people take him and his dad out of the jungle. Lam explained that his farther - Mr Thanh – was very sick so he was taken home for treatment.

Staring into the things brought from his hut in the forest, Loan mumbled in Cor language that they lacked two big knives and many bamboo tubes containing peppers, tobacco in the forest. Loan feared that his fields are being destroyed by animals so he wanted to return to his hut.

Thanh and his son made fire from bark tinder and two pieces of rock.

These days, many villagers flocked to Lam’s home to visit Thanh and Loan. Some people asked Loan in Cor language "Xun manh le” “Where do you want to live,” he barely said "Manh goc" (In the forest).

Seeing sticks on the yard, Loan used an axe to chop the sticks into small chip of woods very easily. Just finishing the wood chopping, it rained suddenly. Loan undressed and stood in the yard to bath under the rain.

For the first time after 40 years living in the wildlife, Loan was bathed by his relatives. He was also asked to wear slippers.

Return to normal life, the 41-year-old "forest man" is facing many difficulties in the modern living environment. Lang only sat around the fire or in the corner to chew betel. Sometimes he took tobacco from a bamboo tube and then used tinder (bark scraped from the trees) and two pieces of rock to ignite and smoked.

"Although my father and my brother have not realized their relatives, it is great happiness for family reunion after 40 years. I wish that my father and brother will soon get acquainted with the life in the village and not run back to the jungle," Tri said.

“The wild man” like a fish out of water in modern life

Fumbling when dressing himself with fabric clothes or picking up food with chopsticks, the “forest man” Ho Van Loan was also unfamiliar with money, mobile phones or motorbikes.

Being taking into forest by his father at the age of one, 40 years later Ho Van Loan was taken back to the village by the authorities of Tra Phong Commune and local people to reunite with his family. This is Loan’s coat which has been well preserved by his father – Ho Van Thanh, 81, in the last 40 years.

Loan seemed to be very interested in the rain on August 9. He bath under the rain in the front yard of his cousin’s house. Ho Ka Ny, his nephew, helped scrub his back.

For the first time after 40 years, the feet of the “wild man” wears slippers.

He was crestfallen when wearing cloth dress.

Loan was clumsy when he was helped by his cousin to wear trousers.

But he seems to be good at picking up food with chopsticks.

He is also very good at the work requiring “power,” such as chopping woods.

He is curious, unfamiliar with the mobile phone.

He also has no idea about money.

The first time sitting on the motorcycle, Loan was both scared and excited.

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VNE/Tri thuc