Mowgli girl
The girl was found by police living in the forest with a troop of monkeys. YouTube/UttarPradesh

Police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have found a girl being brought up by monkeys.

The 8-year-old was spotted by a police officer who was on a routine patrol of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.

She was rescued by police officers in the region who said that she had been living with a group of monkeys in the forest.

When officer Suresh Yadav spotted her, he tried to get to her but both the girl and the monkeys screeched at the policeman.

It wasn't until backup had come that they were able to coax the girl towards the authorities and to a nearby hospital.

According to the police, the girl cannot speak or understand any language and gets scared when approached by humans. Because of this and her time with the monkeys, she can get violent when people try to approach and help her. She also eats like a monkey, using her hands to collect and eat the food.

Medical reports have shown signs of markings along the girl's arms suggesting she may have been living in the forest for a long time.

Since being rescued, the girl has made slow improvements in her overall demeanour and ability to interact with other humans. While she can walk on two legs, she spends much of her time on all fours instead, like a monkey.