Tippi, aged 6 riding on Abu's neck as he leads his herd in Okavango Swamps, Botswana, 1996. Incredible pictures of the real life Mowgli, a girl who spent the first ten years of her life growing up in the African bush, have been released for the first time. The magical images chronicle the life of Tippi Benjamine Okanti Degré, who was brought up with wild animals, just like Rudyard Kipling's hero did in The Jungle Book. The images – in the relaunched book – “Tippi: My Book of Africa” – show the young girl making friends with an elephant, who she calls her brother, and a leopard, her best friend. Living with her French parents, wildlife photographers Sylvie Robert and Alain Degré, the three of them travelled extensively through Africa on a unique and incredible trip. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)





Tippi, aged 6 with Tkui and another man of the San Bushmen of northern Namibia. Tkui is teaching Tippi to use a bow and arrow in Namibia, 1996. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)





Tippi aged 6 sitting cross legged with a young cheetah in Namibia, 1996. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)





Tippi aged 6 with her arms stretched out on Sea Bird Island, Africa, 1996. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)





Tippi, aged 6 dancing with Abu the 34-year-old elephant in Okavango Swamps, Botswana, 1996. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)





Tippi aged 6 sitting on the back of Linda, a tamed ostrich in South Africa, 1996. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)





Tippi, age 6, with two meerkats in Namibia, South Africa, 1996. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)





Tippi aged 6 sitting with J&B, a tame adult leopard in Namibia, 1996. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)





Tippi, aged 6 busy with two meerkats (suricates) in Namibia, 1996. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)