Marina Chapman, who says she was kidnapped at age four and abandoned in a Colombian rainforest, has disclosed that the most transformative experience of her jungle life came when she found a piece of mirror.
Chapman claims she spent five years being raised by capuchin monkeys after trafficking gangs left her in the wild. When asked whether the monkeys felt like family, she replied: "I felt like I was part of them because of the hands. They behave like a human. I was shocked when I found a piece of mirror. It was a shock of my life because I didn't realise about my face."
First reflection and a sense of confusion
She added: "It was the first time I saw my face. For me, I just thought, I am not like a monkey. I felt like I was related to them. I was beginning to feel a little bit confused. I don't think I speak any language. I think I forgot my own language because I began to recognise the noises."
Chapman, now in her mid-70s, recalls how she gradually befriended a troupe of black and white capuchin monkeys. They initially paid her no attention before slowly warming to her, clambering onto her shoulders and playing with her hair. She explained that this connection provided enormous solace during a period when she was utterly alone and desperately hoping for rescue.
A life-saving encounter with a monkey
Recounting the moment a monkey saved her life, she told OMG Stories Up Close: "I was just looking at this old monkey and I was really crying out and I was feeling very desperate. So he just walked towards me and he grabbed me forcefully and he pulled me into the water straight. It was a puddle of water, it wasn't very deep. He put me there and he held me and I was just trying to push back."
She continued: "I drank so much water and I was quite sick after until I looked at his face. He was staring at me. I realised something about his eyes, he didn't want to kill me. I just thought there was something special about when I looked at his eyes. I felt he was a good monkey. He didn't want to kill. But I felt better in my stomach after a while."
Escape, hardship, and a new life in the UK
Following several years in the jungle, Chapman was seized by hunters and transported to Cucata, where she was placed in a brothel, though she fortunately managed to flee. This escape left her destitute, forcing her to survive on the streets and shelter in parks.
On one particular evening, police took her in and provided her with a bed for the night, before ensuring she received breakfast the next morning, which she described as "very special". However, upon being asked about her parents, Chapman revealed she had no knowledge of their identity, explaining that she had been raised amongst monkeys.
She recalled: "The person laughed, really laughed in my face. It was just very offensive and the way they did it because I said I come from the monkeys and I never wanted to tell anybody that. I became quite frightened about it and I ate my breakfast and they let me go again."
Chapman was ultimately taken in by a couple from Bradford, who subsequently relocated her to the UK, and her real parents were never located. She revealed she was unable to operate door handles, use cutlery, and felt "completely useless" at trying to be a human. Despite these challenges, she went on to flourish, writing a book about her extraordinary experiences entitled The Girl With No Name. She also married and today has two daughters and two grandchildren.
For years she has searched for the forest from which she was taken, yet has been unable to locate it. Chapman even expressed hope that the kidnappers responsible for removing her from the jungle might see her interview and reveal its whereabouts. The mother confirmed she would not report them to the authorities if they remained alive today, adding: "One day they might come and say 'this is the jungle we took you out of' or something. I won't do anything to them. That's my wishful thinking that it could happen."
