Tiger in Thiruvananthapuram Zoo finds a place in French curriculum

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  On her first visit to Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, Frenchwoman Claire le Michel had a chance meeting with its chief veterinary surgeon Dr Jacob Alexander. The dancer-writer terms this an important milestone in her life.

Though the initial purpose of her visit was to learn the connection between nature and animals, what she could imbibe at the zoo and the special connection she formed with a tiger here had her reaching for the pen, first to jot down her thoughts, but eventually to tell the story of the animal she had befriended - George, named so after the protagonist of Premam, a popular Malayalam movie.

What began as a French blog soon evolved into a radio programme, and not long later, a book publisher too was onboard -  Le Verger des Hesperides. George’s story had finally taken shape - as The Mysterious Journal of Mr Carbon Crow. Soon enough, it found a place in the French school curriculum, and an English version too was arranged (translated by Jerome Gordon).

Now, on Claire’s seventh visit to Thiruvananthapuram, George’s story too has made the long journey home. Sadly, her old friend is no more. The Bengal tiger passed away a day after Christmas in 2021. “When I set out to write, I never imagined that it would lead me so far. George had been a wonderful teacher,” Claire said. “Let George go into a new life,” she said.

The book was released by children’s writer A Khyrunnia at Alliance Francaise in Thiruvananthapuram. Dr Jacob Alexander, who had been a catalyst for the story and who appears as one of its main characters, fittingly got the first copy. Eva Martin, Director of Alliance Francaise was also present.

The timing of the release could not have come at a more significant time given how the state is considering culling tigers after a surge in human-animals conflict from villages on the fringes of the forest. Khyrunnisa labelled the book as “a need of the hour”.

“There are 7 billion people on the planet. Only 3,000 to 4,000 tigers. It raises the question, of whether it is the tigers who come too far outside the forest, or whether the people are venturing too far in?” Claire posed the question.