Tippi Degré's parents moved from France to the wilderness of Namibia when she was just a little baby - for 10 years, Tippi wandered the busy barefoot, making friends with all sorts of wild animals like leopards, mongoose, baboons, elephants, and snakes.
Here's her fascinating story:
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.
Link (with embedded YouTube video clips)