AFTER HER PARENTS RAISED HER AROUND WILD ANIMALS, THE REAL LIFE MOWGLI HAS ALL GROWN UP

 

When you think about it, each of our childhood was filled with wonder and playfulness. As kids, we were all curious and always learning about our surroundings. We would spend time at the playground where fond memories were made. But this girl named Tippi Degré spent the first 10 years of her life somewhere you would never guess… Yes, she literally grew up in the wild! So since she was raised in the jungle, what she grew up to be was definitely something interesting…

Meet Tippi Degré

To grow up in the wild is something we only see on the television screen. Although most of us may have dreamt about it, you would not necessarily find anyone who actually experienced it. Well, there is one exception. Her name is Tippi Degré. She is a little French girl who went on to spend her early youth in Namibia, Africa.

Why There?

So how come this girl grew up all the way here and not in her native land of France? Well, you see, the little girl’s parents had careers that were a little unconventional. Working as wildlife photographers, they would often click unbelievable photos of Tippi next to all sorts of wild animals. Their baby girl would often pose right next to massive elephants and even lions!

Unconventional Childhood

Most of us have memories of running around with our friends at the park or at playgrounds. We would often play games and also hide and seek with our friends in the neighborhood or the park. But not this little girl Tippi. She was actually was running through the jungle and would spend time with her friends. Mind you, her friends were not humans…

With The Wild Ones

We are lead to believe that wild animals are a threat and that we must always avoid them. But as crazy as this sounds, Tippi was not afraid of these wild animals at all. She would spend time and run around with the animals that lived in Africa. She actually enjoyed her time with them too. This might be hard to believe, but just check the photos her parents took of her…

With A Cheetah!

So, if you thought that we were exaggerating about the fact that this cute French girl was pals with wild animals, have a look for yourself. She actually hangs out and gets affectionate with the animals. Her parents would always click pictures such as this and this clearly shows us, Tippi is a special girl. She was right from birth very comfortable with the animals around her.

A Real Life Disney Princess?

Just think for a second. Science has led us to believe those wild animals have wild instincts that urge them to attack or harm others around them. But the mere fact that these wild animals such as this spotted cheetah also love to be near and around her shows that Tippi is indeed some sort of Disney princess. The following photos will make you drop your jaws…

Magical Photos

The more you look at the photos that Tippi’s mom and dad have clicked, the more you will realize how special she is. They are evidence that she shares a special bond and comfort with the animals that were living around her family in Namibia. After all, have you ever seen a little girl being carried by a wild African elephant on their trunk? 

Only In Fiction

Tippi is a lucky girl because she gets the chance to spend quality time with the animals that she loves very much. It is even more amazing because the animals also give the love right back. It was such a unique bond and her childhood was something we only read about in books and watch on movie screens. Even her parents were among the people who were shocked…

Feeling Blessed

So since their beloved daughter was so involved with wild animals, how did her parents feel about her behavior with them? Well, Tippi ‘s parents felt truly blessed to be able to spend all their time in Africa when Tippi was growing up. They were glad to see that she adapted really well with the environment. Her parents were not sure how she would react…

The Perks Of It All?

We all know that parenthood can be tough. And while most parents end up with a job in factories and shops, Tippi’s parents were able to enjoy the experience of a lifetime and have their lovable daughter with them everywhere. They could travel and grow as a family together. One of the perks was also the fact that her parents could take incredible photos of Tippi and her wild friends.

With The Locals

There was one other thing that happened to this magical girl during her family’s time in Africa. It was not just the animals who showed her love and affection. There was another notable incident regarding Tippi’s experience in Africa. There was something about Tippi that made the locals accept her. She was not seen as an outsider, she was rather celebrated.

An Exception

If you have ever read about African history, you would discover that most African locals do not necessarily accept anyone. They do not want to share their culture with outsiders, and would especially deny any access to their celebration events, but Tippi would receive a pass! Something about her made the African locals connect and identify.

On A Book

So after spending the first few years of her life in Namibia, it would have definitely left a mark on the girl, right? Well, although ten years have passed since Tippi lived in Africa, the girl still remembers her time there very clearly and wrote a book based on it. She can still recall the wonderful times she spent with the animals and how the locals would often invite her for their celebratory events…

Her Book Of Africa

So for someone to live in the jungle and hang with all kinds of wild animals, it would be hard to forget the experience. So what did Tippi decide on doing? Well, she has now penned all her adventures down in a book called “Tippi: My Book of Africa”. All her extraordinary stories of the wonderful times she spent in the wild have been included here…

The Jungle Book

Growing up, we were all fascinated by the animals that we see on channels like Discovery and Animal Planet. We would dream about spending time with these animals and let our imaginations run wild. And while the majority of kids her age would be at home watching animated movies like ‘The Jungle Book’, for Tippi, it was her reality, her everyday life!

Too Brave, Too Cute

Even though there might be people who are skeptical about this little girl’s bond with the wild, but all the pictures are clear proof that it is not a hoax. She can clearly be seen touching and playing with animals that most of us consider harmful. How many little girls would be willing to sleep right next to a baby lion? It was 10 years ago so, the possibility for Photoshop or altering is also out of the question.

Having Fun

As kids, we all wish to have the biggest playground where we are given the liberty to do whatever we want to. To explore and go on adventures was the only thing that we would dream about every day. And lucky for Tippi, she did not even need any special playground. She did not have to look for a place to play hide and seek because the whole jungle was her playground.

No Need To Worry

And on top of all, even kids get rejected by their peers. As humans, we often choose the people we hang with, even at a young age. Tippi did not even have to worry about fitting in because the animals were all in love with her. She did not even have to look for other kids, Tippi could befriend an ostrich and ride around Africa. This experience is something none of us could relate with.

Elephants As Pals

And indeed that jungle was a place where there were little to no kids around. And to be quite truthful, Tippi did not have so many people to play with when it came down to humans her age at the jungle. This would have definitely been a huge problem for most kids, but not her. You see, she did not have issues because the wild animals were enough for her.

Unaware Of Other Kids

Since she grew up in the jungle, she was not aware of how a human kid was supposed to behave or what they enjoy. Tippi had a special upbringing where every day was an adventure that most of us only get to watch or read about. The other kids in the big city must have had their own versions of fun, but how was she to know? She was still content with her friends from the jungle.

Into The Wild

So how did her parents take all this experience? Surely, they must have sometimes been scared and fearful for their baby girl when she got too close to the animals. “She was a lucky little girl. She lived in the wild until she was ten years old. It was just the three of us along with all the animals. We did not have much contact with other people” explained Tippi’s parents.

Were They Irresponsible?

There are some folks who believe that the parents were foolish to keep their daughter so close to danger, that they would not have been able to help if the animals unexpectedly snap. So, do you agree that her parents were irresponsible to keep her exposed to tigers and elephants? Should they have been more aware of the fact that something tragic could have happened…

Dangerous Animals

For someone who has never been in the wild or rather spend time with this family in the wild, it would clearly be easy to point fingers. Tippi’s parents were criticized for keeping their baby girl in the face of so many vicious animals. But, although Tippi’s life seems to be in danger in some of these pictures, this could not have been more inaccurate…

Not What They Seem

For someone who by chance came across these photographs of Tippi posing with animals of the wild, it must be easy to judge. But her parents say every photo they took of Tippi, the animals in the frame were tamed. It was not random animals that they spontaneously placed their kid with. They were residing with some locals there so there were always people around…

Amazing Pictures

And since Tippi’s parents were wildlife photographers, they had work to be done. And also, even though their primary job was to click photographs the African nature, there was something else that they found way more interesting. This was not their main focus because they had another subject that proved to be even more interesting!

What Was Their Distraction?

So what distracted them from doing their main job? Well, obviously the parents enjoyed taking pictures of their daughter more than anything. Everything else seemed a little duller than their lively and innocent daughter who could easily befriend the animals around them. But yes, to see a kid on an ostrich or with lions is something any unaware person would fear.

Scary Beasts

We have all watched shows where people interact with animals. Humans have a fascination of anyone who seems to have a higher connection or bond with animals of any sort. And the fact that Tippi’s place of upbringing and childhood was with the wild animals, her photos going viral was definitely not a huge shock. It was bound to happen…

After Growing Up?

And since her parents had always enjoyed clicking their daughter, making her pose with animals like lions, cheetahs, and elephants, Tippi was a natural in front of the cam. And so slowly by slowly it appears as though Tippi had fallen in love with the camera lens. So after a few years passed and the tiny French girl grew up, she ended up with a job that was quite fitting…

An Actress?

Anyone who has been in front of the camera for so long gets comfortable eventually. For Tippi, since she had been pictured with animals ever since she was just a little girl, she became a natural in no time. And by the looks of it, Tippi enjoyed being in front of the camera lens. Why do we say so? Well, after growing up, she is now an actress.

A Show Of Her Own

So what kind of acting does Tippi do? Well, she did not go and land roles in movies or such but she had a show called “Around the world with Tippi”. As the name suggests, this was a show Tippi did when she was a little younger. It was a show that aimed in teaching children important stuff about wild animals, which was indeed a topic that Tippi was familiar with.

Frog Hugger

And so, living in the wild, Tippi was introduced to a lot of animals. She was given the chance to spend time with a variety of exotic animals. And out of all the animals she used to play with, her favorite animals to be around are frogs! There was a good reason for this. Tippi really enjoyed how calm and friendly frogs are and to see them hop around always cracked her up.

Unbelievable Story

The more you think about it, the more you realize how amazing this little girl’s life is. There would not be a long list of people who had a better childhood than Tippi. This is a fact! Where in the world or in history can you find a kid who had tigers and elephants waiting for thee to play with? There is just no denying that her life as a kid was magical.

Growing Up

After spending 10 years of her life in Africa, the time came for Tippi and her parents to leave the place they called home. Now after Tippi grew up, she would occasionally visit Africa whenever she gets the chance. It was impossible for her to forget about all the adventures she had in Africa. When she goes back, she feels like she is transported back to her childhood.

Food Hunter

And we must all learn from this incredible little girl who absolutely adores nature. From Tippi’s story, we must remind ourselves that nature truly is beautiful! Tippi was able to soak up everything that Africa has to offer when she was just a toddler. She bonded with the animals and even the people there, learning about their culture and customs too…

Here Is Tippi

So whatever happened to the little girl? How did she go on from such a wonderful childhood? Just look at her now. This how she looks now. Can you believe this is Tippi today? Tippi has now all grown up and does not really look like the girl in the photos anymore. We hope that her future plans work for her and that she continues to be a successful actress.