Is this a hoax?

[Manwë Súlimo]

http://anomalyinfo.com/articles/sa00009.php

In the mid-eighteenth century, hunters in the Ochamchir region of Georgia (a Province of Russia on the edge of the Black sea) captured a 'wild woman' who had ape-like features, a massive bosom, thick arms, legs, and fingers, and was covered with hair. This 'wild woman', named Zana by her captors, was so violent at first that she had to spend many years in a cage with food being tossed to her. Eventually, she was domesticated and would perform simple tasks, like grinding corn. She had an incredible endurance against cold, and couldn't stand to be in a heated room.

I have a feeling it is, but can anyone confirm?

[Jaecp]

Well,

Its called a legend on the page itself, are they really being serious?

[Cupofwrath.com]

Wheres the body? There have been many documented cases of feral or wild people, but they were all just biologically normal people who were lost as children and grew up isolated in the wild.

[FreezBee]

Well,

Its called a legend on the page itself, are they really being serious?

Apparently serious enough in the sense stated on the index page:

link above

Anomalies is a database of paranormal (and allegedly paranormal) events, objects, and people, compiled from a variety of sources and traced back to their earliest reports.
Articles are separated into two catagories: the General Topics are about major types of paranormal events -- ghosts, UFOs, etc. -- while the Specific Events articles each deal with a single encounter with the strange and unexplained.

© source where applicable

- FreezBee

[NeilUnreal]

IIRC, serious investigators believe that the gist of the story is true, but that the ape-like and "raised by wolves" aspects have been exaggerated. She was apparently a mentally-handicapped woman who had been living wild – possibly after having been abandoned as a child, or after having escaped confinement..

-Neil

[rogue06]

Zana is considered one of the better documented cases of “feral children” even though the stories about her are sketchy at best and often contain contradictions. Some ‘cryptozoologists’ claim she was an alma (the Russian version of Bigfoot or yeti) or a hybrid. Others that she was a Neanderthal. The Prof. "Porchnev” mentioned in the link is probably Boris Porshnev who has promoted both of these possibilities.

The fact that nobody ever bothered to take a photo of this amazing woman (she is said to have died in 1890 or so when photography wasn’t that rare), or preserve her remains or traced her alleged children aside from what little is mentioned (and nothing about whether they had kids) allows for these outlandish claims to continue.

[Manwë Súlimo]

Thanks for the insight

[David M]

It is entirely possinle that this was a case of someone suffering from Hypertrichosis, in some instances this can lead to a thick covering of hair on over 90% of the body.

In 19th century Russia it is not inconceivable to think that a child suffering from Hypertrichosis might be abandoned or persecuted by superstitious people of the time. Long term abuse/confinement or growing up without human contact would probably lead to the behaviour descibed.

[USIncognito]

Zana is considered one of the better documented cases of “feral children” even though the stories about her are sketchy at best and often contain contradictions. Some ‘cryptozoologists’ claim she was an alma (the Russian version of Bigfoot or yeti) or a hybrid. Others that she was a Neanderthal. The Prof. "Porchnev” mentioned in the link is probably Boris Porshnev who has promoted both of these possibilities.

The fact that nobody ever bothered to take a photo of this amazing woman (she is said to have died in 1890 or so when photography wasn’t that rare), or preserve her remains or traced her alleged children aside from what little is mentioned (and nothing about whether they had kids) allows for these outlandish claims to continue.

Along with what rogue notes, I'll add that in many feral child cases that have become cryptozoological lore the original case is embellished at the time and the embellishment is taken as gospel truth by advocates. Hoax is too strong a word for the facts around Zana, but cryptozoologists, much like YECs, are perpetrating one by trumpeting the embellished story while ignoring alternate explanations.