Tippi Degre,The Real Life Mowgli

Her "brother" was an elephant, her best friend a leopard and her playground the African bush. Tippi Degre has been labelled the 'real-life Mowgli'

Now Tippi's new book, 'Tippi: My Book of Africa', showcases the magical images that have led to comparisons with Rudyard Kipling's young hero in The Jungle Book

Born in Windhoek, Namibia in 1990, Tippi Benjamine Okanti Degre lived with her French parents, wildlife photographers Sylvie Robert and Alain Degre. The three of them travelled extensively through Africa on a unique and incredible adventure

She showed an unusual bond between man and beast. Sylvie, Tippi's mother, explains: "She was in the mindset of these animals. She believed the animals were her size and her friends. She was using her imagination to live in these different conditions"

Using her innocence and imagination, the young 'Mowgli' befriended one of the giants of the animal kingdom, Abu the African elephant

"She had no fear," says Sylvie. "She did not realise she was not the same size as Abu the elephant. She would look into its eyes and speak to him"

Top 5 Most Addictive Foods

While we all know about the dangers of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes,did you know that you could become addicted to your favourite food?From withdrawal symptoms to changes in brain chemistry, our snacks have surprising ways of keeping us wanting more.Here is our guide to five of the world’s most addictive foods.

Chocolate

Many people claim to be chocoholics, but can you really be addicted to chocolate? The answer is... perhaps. One reason many people feel "addicted" to chocolate is that the food's chemical compounds (including theobromine, phenyethylamine, anandamide and tryptophan) actually have pleasure-inducing effects that can mimic the effects of drugs on the brain. Chocolate also contains alkaloids (tetrahydro-beta-carbolines) which are present in alcohol and have been linked to alcoholism.

However - before you go booking yourself into Chocoholics Anonymous - it is important to note that many researchers have pointed out that the chemicals in chocolate also exist in other foods
which most of us do not crave. It has also been suggested that the chemicals in chocolate are not in high enough doses to lead to addiction. Regardless, it is impossible to deny that
chocolate is one of the world's most-craved foods - whether this is due to psychological reasons or a physical addiction.

Cheese

From pizzas to cheeseburgers, cheese is a staple of many widely-craved junk foods, but there could be more to our cravings than we think. Various studies have discovered the presence of opiates -
including the highly addictive morphine - in the popular dairy product. While the amounts of morphine in cheese are very small and probably not enough to cause addiction, some researchers have expressed concern about its levels of casein (the main protein in cheese) which produces morphine-like opiate compounds called casomorphins during digestion. On top of this, cheese also contains phenylethylamine, a substance with stimulant effects which is thought to give consumers a natural "high", and which is reputed to have addictive qualities.

Sugar

We all know that sugar is bad for our health but, according to numerous studies, it can also be addictive. Studies have suggested that when we eat sugar, chemicals called opioids are released by the brain, which leads to an intense feeling of pleasure. It is this feeling that people may crave in the absence of sugar.

A study by psychologists at Princeton University investigated sugar addiction by studying its effect on rats. They discovered that after rats were fed a diet high in sugar, they experienced symptoms
similar to those produced by drug withdrawal when the sugar was withdrawn, including shaking and changes in brain chemistry. The study therefore concluded what other researchers have also suggested; that it is possible to become severely dependent on sugar

Burgers and other

Numerous researchers and studies have suggested that fatty, processed junk food such as burgers may actually be addictive. According to Professor David Kessler - an ex-commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration and author of The End of Overeating - the combination of fat, salt and sugar in junk food triggers our "bliss point" and leaves us wanting more.

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida backed up this theory with a study which found that the addictive responses in the brains of rats when fed junk food including fatty meats were the
same as in those that consume cocaine or heroin. On top of this, meat - like chocolate, cheese and sugar - releases opiate-like substances during digestion which some studies have suggested
can leave us craving more.

Coffee

Many feel that they can't start the day without a cup of coffee and people often joke about having a caffeine "addiction", however this may not be far from the truth. Although there has been much debate over the years about whether or not caffeine is genuinely addictive, it is difficult to deny that many of us crave it to the point where we feel we can't function without it.

One reason that people may crave caffeine so much is due to the fairly severe symptoms of caffeine withdrawal that people often face, ranging from fatigue and headaches to irritability
and depression. However, it may be that, rather than being physically dependent on caffeine, you are actually addicted to the belief that you can't function without your morning cup of coffee.
Whatever the reason, caffeine remains the world's most popular drug and a staple of many daily routines.

The Tallest People On Earth

1. Robert Wadlow 8 feet 11 inches (2m 72cm)

Robert Pershing Wadlow was born in Illinois on February 22, 1918 he was also known as Alton Giant or Giant of Illinois or the tallest man in the history of the human kind. He was 8 feet 11 inches (2m 72cm) tall and weighted around 220 kg. He became famous for his abnormal height caused by an extremely high level of human growth hormone. He died at the age of 22.

2. Don Koehler 8 feet 2 inches (2m 49cm)

Don suffered from a medical condition known as acromegalic gigantism. He was the tallest man on planet in the period from 1969 to 1981. Koehler and his twin sister were born to their abnormally high parents. He died in 1981 at the age of 55 from a heart condition.

3. Zeng Jinlian 8 feet 1.75 inches (2m 48cm)

Zeng Jinlian was another medical phenomenon and the tallest woman in history in the period between 1964 and 1982. She was 8 feet 1.75 inches (2m 48cm) tall. She had medical problems with her spine and couldn't stand straight do to het height. She died at the age of 17.

4. Sultan Kosen 8 feet 1.5 inches (2m 47cm)

He is one of the 12 individual people who grew over 8 feet. He was born in 1983 and is a Turkish basketball player. He is the tallest basketball player in the history. He has some back problems and couldn't stand straight therefore he was measures 2m 42cm but after his operation he was measured 2m 47cm.

5. Zhao Liang 8 feet 1.1 inches (2m 47cm)

Zhao Liang was born in 1982 and grew to a height of 8 feet 1.1 inches (2m 47cm). He is a circus performer in China.

Muscles Inside Your Body

208 muscles move in your body at a time when you take a single step forward. Have you ever imagined how your body looked from inside. If not then check out this amazing creativity.

Three Strange Brothers Living Together

They make an unlikely trio, but Baloo the bear, Leo the lion and Shere Khan the tiger
Have forged an unusually strong bond.
Considering that they would be mortal enemies if they ever were to meet in the wild,
It is stunning to see their unique and genuine friendship in these intimate pictures.
Rescued eight years ago during a police drugs raid in Atlanta , Georgia , the three friends
Were only cubs at the time at barely two months old.

They had been kept as status symbol pets by the drug barons.
Delivered to the Noah's Ark Animal Rescue Centre in Locust Grove , Georgia , the decision was made
To keep the youngsters together, because of their budding rapport.
'We could have separated them, but since they came as a kind of family, the zoo decided
To keep them together,' said Diane Smith, assistant director of Noah's Ark.
'To our knowledge, this is the only place where you'll find this combination of animals together.'
Living with the zoo's founders for the past eight years, Shere Khan, Baloo and Leo have now moved
To a purpose-built habitat where the US public can now witness first hand their touching relationships.

'We didn't have the money to move them at first,' said Diane.
'Now their habitat is sorted and they have been moved away from the children's zoo areas
Where the public couldn't really get a good look.
'It is possible to see Baloo, who is a 1000lb bear, Shere Khan, a 350lb tiger and Leo, who is also 350lbs,
Messing around like brothers.
'They are totally oblivious to the fact that in any other circumstance they would not be friends.'
Handled by Charles and Jama Hedgecoth, the zoo's owners and founders,
The three friendly giants appear to have no comprehension of their animal differences.
'Baloo and Shere Khan are very close,' says Diane.
'That is because they rise early, and as Leo is a lion, he likes to spend most of the day sleeping.
'It is wonderful and magical to see a giant American Black Bear put his arm around a Bengal
And then to see the tiger nuzzle up to the bear like a domestic cat.
'When Leo wakes up the three of them mess around for most of the day before they settle down to some food.'

Surprisingly for three apex predators with the power to kill with a single bite or swipe of their paw,
They are very relaxed around each other.
'They eat, sleep and play together,' said Jama.
'As they treat each other as siblings they will lie on top of each other for heat and simply for affection.
'At the moment they are getting used to their new habitat.
'Shere Khan is being quite reticent about the move, but Baloo, the bear, is very good at leading him on
And making him feel comfortable and safe.'
Explaining that the three 'brothers' have always seemed to share a unique bond,
Charles said: 'Noah's Ark is their home and they could not possibly be separated from each other.
'You just have to remember who you're dealing with when you are with them, though.
'It's when you forget that these fellows are wild animals that you get yourself in trouble.'
The trio's new habitat had to be constructed carefully, in order to accommodate its occupants.
Jama said: 'The clubhouse had to be very sturdy for the guys, because they all sleep in it together,'
She added: 'We had to include a creek, because the tiger and the bear both like to be in water.'