The Andalusian Mowgli turns 80

This extraordinary story began in Andalucía 80 years ago. Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja was born on 7 June 1946 in the village of Añora in Cordoba province. However, in the 1950s, his father and stepmother moved with him to Fuencaliente (Ciudad Real), in the Sierra Morena mountains. They gave (according to other accounts, sold) the boy to a goatherd, after whose death the seven-year-old Marcos was left alone in the mountains.

In the forest, a pack of wolves began to look after Marcos. They protected, fed and raised him. The man wore animal skins, learned their language and habits, and became a full member of the pack.

The wolves taught Marcos to howl, to distinguish between edible and poisonous plants, and to hunt other animals together. Incidentally, it is reported that the man formed a special bond with a wolf cub, whom he adopted and whose life he even saved on one occasion.

The Guardia Civil found Marcos in the forest in 1965. He had adopted the habits of a wolf so well that he could not speak and tried to bite. The teenager was forcibly taken back to the village where nuns taught him how to dress, use cutlery and walk upright. Later, Marcos was placed in the Vallejo centre in Madrid, which specialises in neurological rehabilitation, where he remained until he was reintegrated into society as an adult.

Like any other citizen of Spain at the time, Marcos Rodríguez had to do his military service, get married, and, of course, work. His independent life in human society began in Mallorca. There on the island, he lived in a hostel, earning his keep through his own labour. The man generally earned his living in the hospitality industry, and it was this line of work that brought him to the Costa del Sol.

Fuengirola features in Marcos Rodríguez’s biography, as he worked and lived there for a time. However, the bustling resort was certainly not for him, just as life among people in general was fraught with constant trials, misunderstandings and difficulties.

Marcos lacked the cunning and the ability to follow social norms. In some interviews he confessed that the most difficult thing for him was to understand how society worked and the significance of money. In both his personal and professional life, Marcos was repeatedly mocked and deceived. He began to look back with nostalgia on his life in the mountains among predators as the happiest time of his life, for it was there that everything was perfectly clear and uncomplicated. Incidentally, this fact clearly gave Marcos no reason to hold a grudge against his father.

It is no surprise that Marcos sought peace and harmony in communion with nature. It is reported that for a time he lived in a cave in the mountains, and then moved to Galicia - one of the regions with the largest wolf population.

There, in Rante, a village deep in Ourense province, he was taken in by Manuel Barandela Losada, a former police officer. Marcos called him ‘the boss’ and considered him a member of the family right up until the latter’s death. Marcos Rodríguez continued to live in Galicia.

This unique Andalucía-born Mowgli regularly received invitations from town councils, associations and various organisations to give talks in which he recounted his extraordinary experiences. In 2010, the film Among Wolves, directed by Gerardo Olivares, was released. Additionally, American playwright Kevin Lewis wrote a children’s play inspired by the life of Marcos Rodríguez, entitled Marcos.

His story has become the subject of anthropological research. Marcos Rodríguez has been featured in documentaries, in which he always speaks of the noble behaviour of wolves and their sense of solidarity.

It is worth noting that solidarity towards the Andalusian was also shown by foreigners. It is reported that a Dutch family provided him with financial support.

This month, Marcos Rodríguez has turned 80. As has always been stressed before, despite his age he remains a mischievous lad, with a simple way of speaking and a light-hearted laugh, especially when he recalls his adventures with the wolves. They are his family, because he too is a wolf, 'un lobo solitario' (a lone wolf), as Marcos Rodríguez describes himself.