A Girl from Namibia Who Has a Special Bond with Animals

Tippi playing with a lionA fascinating story of a girl named Tippi who has a special bond with animals!

In 1990, Tippi Degré – daughter of Alain Degré and Sylvie Robert, a couple who chose to relinquish their lives in France for the freedom of nature in Southern Africa – was born in the newly independent Namibia. Her parents worked as freelance wildlife photographers and film makers. At 10 months the toddler was exploring the Namibian bush and desert.

For 10 years, Tippi wandered the bush bare footed, making friends with all sorts of animals: leopards, caracals, mongooses, baboons and snakes.

Her playground was the hills and the harsh desert tribe lands of southern Africa; as the family wandered the bush land, Tippi picked up all kinds of friends – like Abu, a five ton (28-year-old) elephant she calls “her brother”.

She would ride to a water hole on top of Abu and splash with the elephants of the herd, cuddle giant bullfrogs, lion cubs or meerkats; and became a grasshopper hunting specialist with the chameleons she was so fond of.

Tippi also befriended the Himba tribes people and the Bushmen of the Kalahari, who taught her how to survive on roots and berries and hence gave her practical experience of real life in the bush.

Life as a bush baby came to an end after her last year of "freedom" in Madagascar when Tippi moved to the French capital with her mother six years ago. But both in fact and in her heart, she remained an African.


Tippi of Africa


More videos and pictures after the jump.


Tippi and a cheeta leopard


Tippi and a snake


Tippi with an ostrich
Tippi with an elephant

Tippi with a frog
Tippy with a leopard







Video: 1, 2, 3
Source: Selkirk-Enterprises
Tags: |

Comments

Anonymous said…
C'est merveilleux et touchant de voir la communication possible entre l'homme et l'animal!
Anonymous said…
Amazing girl! Wow...
Oh and, where it says, "Tippi and a cheetah" ,she is actually with a leopard, not a cheetah.
Spluch said…
Thanks for the correction! :)
Thank you so much for publishing such a beautiful publication.

Where can we hear Tippi's story now?
Spluch said…
There's a book (published in 1998) about her and you can get it here...other than that, I don’t have more information about how she is doing now...
AStanhope said…
I'm confused as to whether she was BORN in 1990...

Is she 10 years old or 17 years old?

Clearly she is closer to 10 in the photos and videos, but if she was born in 1990 she would be 17 now.
Spluch said…
Yes, these videos and pictures were taken before she turned 11... she should be 17 years old now.
Anonymous said…
Hey, That is wonderful that you published an amazing little girl that bonded with all kinda of animals. I see that she was this small, but what about nowdays? can she still bond to the same animals the more she gets older? I love animals myself also, but not this extoic animals like she can...Smile
God bless her heart....
Spluch said…
I am curious to find out how she is doing now too... but couldn't find more information...
Anonymous said…
Wow, Tippi has gifted from God that she is free to close to God's creations. She is blessed. May God be with her all the way with animals.
Anonymous said…
amazing child . but he asult stage , i going say this she is amazing bless by god