Meet Tippi Benjamine Okanti Degré. She’s the daughter of French wildlife photographers and filmmakers Sylvie Robert and Alain Degré.
Sylie Robert/Barcroft Media/Landov
6-year-old Tippi sitting with J&B, a tame leopard in Namibia.
Tippi is basically a younger version of Cady from Mean Girls, as she spent her earliest years growing up in Africa.
Cady-née-Tippi was born in Namibia in 1990, and traveled with her parents through countries like Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, frequently listening to her favorite band, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Sylie Robert/Barcroft Media/Landov
“She was so at ease with animals. She would talk to them with her eyes and her heart,” said Tippi’s mom, Sylvie, who said her precocious daughter was known as “The Girl Who Talked to Animals.”
youtube.com / Via Rachel Zarrell/BuzzFeed
Sylvie said she was always very careful with Tippi around the wild animals, most of which were orphaned or raised by farmers.
Sylie Robert/Barcroft Media/Landov
Tippi riding on an elephant named Abu as he lead his herd in Okavango Swamps, Botswana.
She said there were only two incidents — once when a meerkat bit her nose, and a second time when a baboon pulled on the little girl’s hair. It was good preparation for Regina George.
Sylie Robert/Barcroft Media/Landov
Tippi with Cindy the baboon.
“If you’re going to drink I’d rather you do it in the house.”
youtube.com / Via Rachel Zarrell/BuzzFeed
Tippi was named after Tippi Hedren, the actress who starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
Sylie Robert/Barcroft Media/Landov
A serene 6-year-old Tippi on Sea Bird Island, Africa.
Due to her unconventional life, Tippi became a worldwide celebrity, and a version of a fan site for her from more than a decade ago is still available.
“People who ask me ” Tippi ? Like an indian teepee ? “, should open their dictionary : mine is spelt with a double P,” the front page says.
“Get on loser we’re going shopping.”
youtube.com / Via Rachel Zarrell/BuzzFeed
These photos, which were taken in the 1990s, are among the shots included in the book Tippi: My Book of Africa, which was released last year.
Sylvie said the little girl considered animals like Abu the elephant her family, and would whisper in his ear that butter was a carb. “She believed the animals were her size and her friends,” Sylvie said.
youtube.com / Via Rachel Zarrell/BuzzFeed
Sylvie had no problem leaving her daughter alone with the tribes: “When we filmed the San Bushmen of northern Namibia we would let Tippi spend the day with the group without us until she would fall asleep among the kids.”
Sylie Robert/Barcroft Media/Landov
Tippi learns how to shoot a bow and arrow with the San Bushmen of northern Namibia.
Sylie Robert/Barcroft Media/Landov
Tippi took a ride on a tamed ostrich named Linda in South Africa.
Tippi was at ease among the African children, but never quite felt the same at home in Europe.
When she returned to Paris at age 10, Tippi had a hard time adjusting to city life. “She missed the animals so much,” Sylvie said. The move was so hard that after two years Tippi began to be homeschooled.
Paramount Pictures
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