Mind-Blowing Images of a Little Girl Raised by Animals

There are a lot of phrases buzzing around TippiHedren, the famous French girl who grew up in Africa (not the actress from Birds, people). Phrases like “real life Mowgli” and “straight from the Jungle Book.” Born in 1990, Tippi had an incredible childhood living among the animals of Africa – and we mean literally among them. Her parents, Sylvie Robert and Alain Degre, were wildlife photographers and documented just how close she got to the creatures of the African continent. Trust us, whatever you expected, you’re going to be surprised just what happened.

Bottle and Elephant, Good to Go

Most little tots Tippi’s age here would have a favorite stuffed elephant. Tippi, on the other hand, had a favorite real elephant – or two. Let’s think about this for a minute: That adult elephant over there could crush little Tippi without even noticing, but there she is, way more interested in her bottle and completely unafraid. Heads up: Tippi’s attitude doesn’t really change through her life.

 Favorite Frog Time!

We know, some of you are probably thinking, “Her parents probably just posed her with a bunch of animals, that’s really irresponsible of them!” But there’s the thing: Tippi freaking loves animals. You think you could make an average little girl pose with a giant, fat, (fortunately non-poisonous” frog like that? No way. She was born into this world and she loves it. Actually, the frog looks pretty happy, too.

 Not Your Usual Cat Pic

By now you’re probably wondering how Tippi got so close to these animals. Like many nature photographers, her parents worked on ranches and reserves where at-risk or orphaned animals were raised. So this little lion cub wasn’t exactly roaming the Serengeti – but it’s not exactly a pet, either. The same is true of most of the animals Tippi hung around with: She didn’t just plop down in the wilderness, but they also aren’t remotely “tame” creatures.

An Ostrich to Brighten Your Day

What, this isn’t how all of you ride into work every day? Maybe it should be! This is an ostrich named Linda, because when you’re on an ostrich farm you tend to get a cute name, especially if you’re friendly to people. While Tippi may be riding this ostrich-like a young queen, we don’t suggest doing this, ever. Ostrich kicks can kill a lion and they aren’t the most patient of birds. Which makes this pic even more impressive, we guess!