She grew up in the wild with animals as her only friends – now the photos are fascinating the whole world

Her best friend was a leopard and her “brother” was an elephant.

French actress Tippi Degré, the daughter of two nature photographers that were stationed in Namibia, had quite an unusual childhood. After seeing these pictures, you’ll understand why she has been dubbed “real-life’s Mowgli”.

Born in 1990, Tippi grew up in the African savannah until the age of 10 with her parents Sylvie Robert and Alain Degré.

“It was a magical time, to be able to be out in the wild and free with our child,” Sylvie told The Telegraph.

“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.”

Although it does not look necessarily look to be the case in some of the pictures, Tippi’s parents were extremely focused on her safety.

“Many farmers in the areas took care of some of the orphaned animals and we were used to having them come close. They become almost tame or very accustomed to people and that’s why Tippi could be so close to them.”

The fact that Tippi’s parents are professional photographers is clear to see. The pictures they took of their daughter are really fantastic.

The little girl’s wild hair, the beautiful surroundings and the wild animals make for some magical photos. You can really see the strong bond Tippi has with the animals.

After 10 years in Namibia, Tippi moved back to Paris with her parents. But Africa’s wildlife still holds a place in Tippi’s heart. She has been back 6 times to film nature documentarys for The Discovery Channel.

Today Tippi is 27 years old.