In the famous literary piece The Jungle Book, we meet the character Mowgli and read about his life being raised by wolves and other animals of the jungle. And while this story is mostly a fictional creation, there is actually a real-life counterpart to Mowgli in a little girl named Tippi Degre.
Tippi was nicknamed the “real life Mowgli” because of her unique upbringing. She has been the subject of a book and several documentaries because of her unique childhood and unbelievable story of being raised by wild and often quite feared African species…
Real Life Mowgli
Tippi Degre was the daughter of French couple, Alain Degre and Sylvie Robert. She was born in June of 1990 in Namibia, Africa. Tippi was named after the famous actress Tippi Hedren. When she was born, her parents decided that they would not bring her up in a normal environment…
Among the Animals
They decided Tippi would instead be raised among the animals of the Wild Safari in Africa. Aside from the two of her parents, Tippi would be brought up by elephants, meerkats, leopards, and other wild animals around her. This was a unique way to grow up…
Tippi Would be Different
According to Tippi’s mother, Sylvia, Tippi had very strong instincts about animals. Even at a very young age, she had no fear of animals that were 10 times her size.
Born to be Wild
Her mother recalled Tippi pointing to elephants and other wild animals and worrying more about their well-being. She had a connection with most of the animals that she would interact with, even as a toddler. When she was a little older, she had no fear from the more threatening animals around her…
Integrated
She integrated herself into the lives of these wild animals seamlessly. They accepted her and she was a kind soul. She truly believed these animals were her friends, even the wild and ferocious predators.
A Unique Understanding
Tippi was always friendly with the animals, and she had a unique understanding of the differences between humans and other animals. She was taught about the many different dangers the animals could present, and while this information would normally frighten most children, Tippi just took it all in stride while still being confident and comfortable approaching these wild animals…
Her Parents Were Careful
While Tippi’s parents allowed her to play around with most of the animals she came into contact with, they were still cautious and careful, especially with large predators and wild animals. One example of this would be with Mufasa the lion…
Lion Friends
Tippi had befriended the lion when he was just a cub. In fact, they have many pictures together. Years later, when Mufasa had grown into a large lion, Tippi met up with her old friend. And while the big cat was friendly with her, he almost knocked her over with his tail…
A Great Opportunity
That’s when her parents decided to step in and keep their daughter away from the lion. They would never knowingly place Tippi in any danger…
A Unique Life
Her parents also viewed this as a great opportunity for Tippi to experience a childhood unlike any other. Her mother Sylvia said “For me it was incredible to think you offer all of this to a child, because I was at ease, because I liked it and because we had lived with the Meerkats in the Kalahari desert for six years before Tippi was born, I believed it was fantastic to have that to offer to a child compared to what I would be able to offer to a child living in a city for example.”
Her Best Friend
When Tippi was almost two years of age, she met Abu, who would become one of her best childhood friends. Abu was no ordinary friend, however—he was a full-grown elephant, and despite the difference in size, Tippi didn’t shy away or was scared of the great beast…
Unlikely Pals
She would look into the animal’s eyes and talk to her. Their initial meeting and the friendship that was quickly formed was indescribable. Throughout the years, Tippi would spend a lot of time with Abu the elephant…
The Animal Whisperer
It was clear to Tippi’s parents that she had a unique connection with wild animals. She had a special gift of being able to connect with these animals in a way that most adults and experts never could. There was something unique about Tippi’s approach to the wild…
Captured Moments
She would always know how to approach an animal without making it feel scared or threatened, and the animals were always at ease in her presence. This unique bond allowed her parents to capture amazing photos of their daughter spending time with the most extraordinary animals of Africa…
Amazing Encounters
In this photo, Tippi had the chance to encounter an ostrich. The ostrich was named Linda and was owned by a local farmer. Tippi was able to ride on the ostrich’s back and feel the wind as she was taken for a wild ride by the fastest bird on land…
Amazing Adventures
Because of her location and her gift with animals, Tippi got to interact and spend time with some of the most amazing animals in all of Namibia. Just like Mowgli, she had several animal friends and some pretty amazing adventures…
Monkeying Around
In this shot, Tippi is seen playing with a large monkey. Tippi’s great gift of being able to communicate and bond with animals was downright magical. In the picture, she gently caresses the monkey’s hand as it studies and touches her…
An Indescribable Connection
Most of these animals were quite shy and typically stayed away from humans, but they were comfortable enough to let Tippi near them…
Part of the Herd
Tippi’s best friend was an elephant so it did not surprise anyone that she was accepted in one of the elephant herds in the region. Tippi could be seen playing around with them and even traveling with them on their broad backs.
Hitching A Ride
Tippi also spent a lot of time just playing with them and allowing them to carry her tiny body around. She would also help them bathe and cool down in rivers. But she loved more than just the gentle creatures…
A Love for All Creatures
Tippi loved all animals, not just the furry and cute ones. She spent time with as many animals as she could, even snakes and reptiles. While most adults would run away or avoid these kinds of animals, Tippi had treated them with the same love and respect as the other animal friends she had met during her childhood. Take this instance, for example, while most people would recoil or panic in the same situation, Tippi was happy to receive some love from a slithering snake…
Mostly Tame
Despite her ability to connect, most of Tippi’s encounters with the most dangerous animals were allowed because many of them were tame. Sylvie explains: “In the arid or semi-desert regions of Southern Africa people have farms of 10,000 to 20,000 hectares. The farmers often keep orphan animals and raise them in their house. Sometimes they are tame or used to humans and so this is how Tippi was able to be so close with them.”
Raised by Bushmen
Tippi was not just raised by the animals of the continent but also partly by some of the indigenous people. During travels with her parents, they encountered many tribes and bushmen. Among them were the Humba tribe in the Kalahari. The tribe taught Tippi how to survive in the wild and how to eat the right roots and berries. She was also taught their language and how to shoot a bow and arrow…
Accepted
Tippi was accepted by the tribe elders and the children of the tribe from the moment they encountered the young girl. They had a sense that she understood them and their culture. They were very friendly and also fascinated by Tippi and her golden hair. Sylvia said that Tippi had no hesitation playing with the other children…
Wardrobe of the Wild
Tippi’s childhood fashion choices reflected her surroundings and the people that she met. Just like Mowgli, Tippi spent most of her childhood wearing minimal clothing. But this choice in wardrobe was not just a fashion statement. This was also to keep the young girl cool in the hot African climate…
Bitten Once
After ten years of living amongst the African animals, you would think that Tippi would have an array of scars and stories. But amazingly, Tippi only had one bite encounter in all her time in Africa, and it was from an unexpected animal. Her first and only bite came from a meerkat. It is ironic because the meerkat is one of the smallest animals that she ever encountered, but also because Tippi’s middle name Okanti, which actually means meerkat…
Famous at Age 10
It didn’t take long for the world to discover the amazing childhood of Tippi. Soon there would be several books and documentaries dedicated to Tippi and her life. There was Le Monde Selon Tippi (The World According to Tippi) in 1997, Tippi en Afrique which was released in 2002, and Around the World with Tippi, in 2004. Around the World with Tippi was a compilation of six wildlife and environmental TV documentaries for the Discovery Channel.
A Different Jungle
When Tippi was 10, her parents returned to Europe and left the only place she knew to be home. It was a rough transition for Tippi. All her life all she knew was the wild and the animals that she had as friends. Now she was living in a small apartment, so it took a bit of time for Tippi to adjust to life in the modern world. She really struggled at first…
All Grown Up
Tippi eventually adjusted enough to attend public school and then attend the La Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris. Tippi studied film there, but she never forgot her time in Africa and her love for animals. She combined her two loves and uses film to promote and raise awareness for the environment and the animals that are dear to her heart…
In Her Parents Footsteps
Tippi adjusted to the world outside of the wild African safari, but she never really got over her first home. As an adult, she made a few trips back to Africa. Her first trip was to shoot documentaries for the Discovery Channel. She reconnected with some of the tribes that had raised her as a child. She also used the trips back to find out more about her childhood. She eventually published her memoirs in a book called “Tippi: My Book of Africa”.