Tippi Degré
Tippi Benjamine Okanti Degré (born 4 June 1990) is a French woman best known for spending her youth in Namibia among wild animals and tribespeople.[1] In 2002–03, she was the presenter of Around the World with Tippi, six wildlife and environmental TV documentaries.
Life and career
Born in Windhoek, Namibia[2] in 1990 to wildlife photographers and filmmakers, Degré grew up in Southern Africa for the first ten years of her life. She has published books about her experience living close to tribespeople, specifically the San Bushmen and the Himbas, and the animals.[3][4] She was named after the actress Tippi Hedren.[5] During her childhood in Namibia, Tippi befriended wild animals, including a 28-year old elephant Abu, a leopard nicknamed J&B, crocodiles, lion cubs, giraffes, a northern greater galago, a banded mongoose, an ostrich, meerkats, a baby zebra, a cheetah, a caracal, a snake, an African grey parrot, giant bullfrogs and chameleons.[6]
Degré attended school in Paris and travelled often between Southern Africa and France.
Tippi My Book of Africa is a novel based on Degré's life in Namibia and in Madagascar.
In 2002–03, Degré presented six wildlife and environmental TV documentaries for the Discovery Channel.[6]
A documentary on her experiences, Le Monde Selon Tippi was released in 1997.[7] Around the World with Tippi, was released in 2004. It was directed by Jeanne Mascolo de Filippis.[8]
Degré studied cinema and audiovisuals in France and currently lives in Paris, where she is the director of 'El Petit FICMA', the children's section of the FICMA festival.[9]
References
Notes
- ↑ Haine, Alice (December 22, 2002). "Pets and their People: The bush baby; Little Tippi walks and talks with the animals". Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
- ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3445804/The-real-life-Mowgli-who-grew-up-with-Africas-wild-animals.html
- ↑ Burrow, Lisa (May 19, 1996). "Tippi: The Animal Girl of Africa". Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
- ↑ "Young girl who's best friends with African wildlife". Wildography & Safaris. 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2013-04-09.
- ↑ Smith, Pip (January 24, 1998). "Unattractive experience of the not-so-dark continent". Daily Dispatch. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
- 1 2 Willsher, Kim (December 27, 2002). "Forget being famous, says bush baby, I'd just like to be normal". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
- ↑ "The World According to Tippi-Documentary clip". Daily Mail. London.
- ↑ "Around the World with Tippi (2004–2005)". IMDB. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ↑ Savill, Richard (November 13, 2008). "The extraordinary childhood of the girl who grew up with African animals". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
Further reading
- Ody, Joelle; Robert, Sylvie; Degré, Alain (1998). Tippi of Africa. New Holland Publishers. ISBN 978-1-86872-083-5.
- Degré, Tippi; Robert, Sylvie; Degré, Alain (2005). My Book of Africa. Struik. ISBN 978-1-77007-029-5.
External links
- Official website
- Photos
- Tippi Degré at the Internet Movie Database
- Le Monde Selon Tippi at the Internet Movie Database