The amazing life story of modern girl Mowgli was born when two photographers once saw in a book article devoted to the West African fauna. One illustration of the article was a photo of two cute animals - the mongoose. Young photographers decided to go to Africa to see them with my own eyes, and so it remained to live there, making wonderful pictures of Africa's wildlife and shooting documentaries about the wildlife of the Kalahari Desert.
After some time, the family had a girl degradation, which was named after Tippi Hedren American actress, who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". The second girl's name - turn over - in the language of the Ovambo, one of the tribes of Namibia, means "mongoose". Immediately after birth Tippy guide West African national park, worrying for the safety of the child, the family asked to leave the reserve degradation. Next home for them became Reserve in Botswana. There also were not thrilled with the fact that the baby will grow among wild animals, but allowed them to remain living in the park. The climate was much warmer and drier than the wet forests of the previous habitat.
In search of unique photographs of representatives of the African fauna Sylvia and Alan performed on nature for days, and the little tippy accompanied them everywhere. She studied wild world where dangers lurk at every turn man, learned to look directly into the eyes of a wild animal, never run away from them and do not turn your back on them. Girl perceived them as real friends with whom you can feel equal, played with them, raised, knew the habits and understand all their habits. The girl's mother says that it is really very difficult, but for Tippi, perhaps, it was much harder to learn pedestrian rules.
Tippy DeGraw grew up among the most dangerous of the existing animals on the planet, the second adventure of the fictional character of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. While Mowgli was the son of Indian woodcutter and brought a pack of wolves, Tippy was raised in conditions of a nomadic life, living in tent camps in the African desert. The family lived in the area for ten years, traveling by car across the expanses of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
Little Tippy held a very unusual childhood: her "brother" was an old elephant Abu, with whom she fearlessly met when she was only a year and a half, best friend - leopard J & B, and served as a playground of the African desert. Even her father was surprised how easily and naturally she made friends with a very dangerous predator - the leopard.
According to Tippi, there's nothing complicated, just need to relax, be calm and friendly, not making any sudden movements. Also parents afraid that pipsqueak plays with a huge elephant, but he, in turn, dissolves all fears, gently bowed girl trunk and planted on his back. Sometimes, when she slept, went near Abu trunk and drove away pesky insects and flies. Growing up, she climbed the elephant yourself on the back and rolled around, holding the edge of his ears.
During the ten years of his life in Africa girl miraculously made friends with many wild animals, including lions, ostriches, giraffes, mongooses, caracals, crocodiles, zebras, giant frogs, cheetahs, snakes and chameleons.
Tippy claims that he can talk to animals, of course, she means by that body language, attitudes and gestures. She says it's the same gift as the ability to write, draw, learn foreign languages or sing - this is a kind of magic and mystery.
Tippy sometimes spent time with Aboriginal tribes of Namibia (Himba Bushmen), who taught her their language, local customs, as well as many other useful skills such as how to produce edible berries and roots. But mostly she was satisfied with meeting the animals. While still very young, the girl said: "I have no friends. Because I rarely see children. Pets - only my best friends."
Unfortunately, in recent years, the Botswana government evicted the Bushmen most outside the reserve, and travelers coming through a travel agency in Botswana reserve, are unlikely to find the remaining natives.
All these ten years of living in Africa Tippi parents were epic photo and growing its unusual daughter. During this time they made a large number of unique images, which show an unusual relationship between a man and a beast.
Some people condemn the girl's parents in such a reckless, in their opinion, behavior, because wild animals - not the safest company for the baby, but she is proud of his childhood Tippy and that's what says about this: "These animals were not truly wild, because this is a nature reserve and they are used to communicate with people most of his life. I would not go out with strangers lions. Truly wild beast was only one frog. "
This unusual story could not long remain unnoticed, and in 1997 director Christian Edge made a documentary "Tippi of Africa" ("Tippi of Africa"). And in 1998, Alan and Sylvia Robert DeGraw published a book about the adventures of his daughter in Namibia Tippi "Tippi of Africa", which became an instant bestseller and was translated into several languages (Russian, unfortunately, are not included in this list). The book is about the real Mowgli gained so much popularity that for a time overshadowed even the Harry Potter books.
When Tippy was ten years old, his family returned to France, as parents felt it necessary to give the girl a European education. Education in the local school continued during the first two years and then moved to the girl home schooling. It was very difficult to adapt to the conditions of urban life, it was too unusual and unfamiliar, and with local children she could not find a common language.
In 2004, Tippi returned to Africa to make a six-part documentary "Around the World with Tippi" ("Around the World With Tippi") channel Discovery. In 2005 he published a book "My Book of Africa" ("My book of Africa"), in writing which, along with Alan and Sylvia Robert DeGraw attended their daughter Tippi.
Today Tippy DeGraw 23 years old, she is studying at the University "Paris III Sorbonne New" at the Faculty of cinema, writes books, draws and dreams of returning to their homeland in Africa, and remove about her documentary.
