Never mind real-life superheroes, 24-year-old DeWet Du Toit of George, South Africa wants to become the flesh-and-blood incarnation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Lord of the Jungle.
The ex-security guard/jobless bodybuilder spends his days caroming through the forest, communing with the animals, and abstaining from human vices:
I certainly never get drunk [...] I prefer to eat the fruits and berries that I find in the jungle. I also know what insects to eat.
This modern Earl Greystroke hopes to someday become the next cinematic Tarzan. He became enamored of the films popularized by former celluloid Ape Lord, Johnny Weissmuller.
Du Toit has gone so far as to create a demo reel of his jungle adventures. Given that the last Tarzan of note was Casper "Johnny Rico" Van Dien back in 1998, the role is most certainly up for grabs. Here's how Du Toit spends his days (in his own words):
I'm like Tarzan in so many ways. My best friend is an elephant called Shaka, and I spend more time with monkeys, zebras and crocodiles than I do with people [...] People might say I'm crazy, but I know this is what I was born to do. [...] I make a platform in a tree to keep away from prowling leopards and snakes on the ground.
It does get lonely - I would love to find a Jane to help me pass the time.
Well, as long as we're all assuming the mantles of public domain superheroes, I call dibs on the Ghost of Ivanhoe or Rainbow Boy. From here on in, I will respond to both.
Daily Mail via Oddity Central. Photo via Barcroft Media.