Zana Just Didn't Know

The Russian ape-woman or Almasty, Zana (d. 1890s) was reasonably domesticated and had off springs by several human males. Her babies, however, did not look like her - they were effectively normal human babies, although perhaps a little sturdier.

Oddly, as soon as Zana gave birth, she bathed her newborns in a cold spring. As a result, the infants immediately died from the cold shock. Villager therefore took her babies away from her as soon as she delivered them, and four (two males and two females) lived to adulthood. Perhaps we can reason that had her babies been from the union of one of her kind, they would have been much more hardy, and in this case her act of bathing them (certainly a natural instinct) would not have killed them. Zana obviously just didn't know that her half-breed off springs were unable to cope with her "natural" treatment. And here she had a valid excuse, because Almasty babies are said to be exactly like human babies, and do not become hairy until they are about one year old. (Illustration by Brenden Bannon)

Tag: chris murphy russian ape-woman almasty zana human babies newborns cold spring shock villager brenden bannon