Five-year-old girl found living with cowsPA

A five-year-old girl has been found living with cows in rural Russia. The 'feral' girl is said to be unable to speak and can only communicate by mooing.

The 'feral' girl was rescued by Russian police after a neighbour in the Solikamsk district in the Ural Mountains raised the alarm.

The unnamed child does not know how to eat properly, preferring to drink milk from a saucepan, police officials have said.

The authorities were called in by a worried neighbour living close to the small farm run by the girl's parents, who are believed to be alcoholics.

Officials said the neighbour told them 'a little girl is living with cows.

'During the check we found that was indeed true.'

When she was found she was allegedly wearing next to nothing and was living in a cowshed with the livestock on the farm.

The girl's mother and stepfather, both farmers, did not take her to kindergarten and forced her to stay with the farm animals to keep her off their hands, the Russian website Uralinform.ru reported.

After being taken to a rehabilitation centre the little girl has now been placed with a foster family.