Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: French writer Claire Le Michel’s ‘George’s Story’, which is taught in French schools and is about a tiger in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, who died at the age of 22 in 2021, has come to the fore again. Claire will arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday for the official publication of the book.
Not so long ago, in 2015, George was a troublemaker that gave the authorities a headache. It had entered human settlements in Wayanad and killed about 25 cattle.
When the animal was captured and brought to the city zoo, it had numerous injuries and was not expected to survive. But he was brought back to life by Dr Jacob Alexander. The veterinarian named him George after actor Nivin Pauly’s character in ‘Premam’.
While taking care of George, Claire, also a contemporary dancer, accidentally visited the zoo and heard about her endurance. She wrote ‘The Story of George’ when she returned to France.
The book received rave reviews in France and was included in the school curriculum as part of a lesson in the necessity of wildlife and protecting tigers. George’s battles for survival and how people facilitated his survival are topics that French students eagerly learned. Happy Claire, unable to go to Thiruvananthapuram due to the pandemic, told TNIE she was blessed to have the opportunity to publish the book in Kerala.
“George’s Story will be published at Alliance Française in Thiruvananthapuram on January 20. Eva Martin, director of Alliance Française, and I, together with George, will be at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode from January 12-15, ” said. Claire before boarding the flight to Thiruvananthapuram. Alliance Française also held meetings with students in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.
