THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘The Story of George’ by French writer Claire Le Michel, about a tiger of Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, who died in 2021 at the age of 22, and which is taught in French schools, is back in the news. Claire will be arriving in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday for the official release of the book.
Not so long ago, in 2015, George was a troublemaker who was giving headaches to authorities. He had strayed into human settlements in Wayanad and had killed around 25 heads of cattle.
When the animal was captured and brought to the city zoo, he had multiple injuries and was not expected to survive. But he was nursed back to life by Dr Jacob Alexander. The veterinary surgeon named him George, after actor Nivin Pauly’s character in ‘Premam’.
When George was being cared for, Claire, who is also a contemporary dancer, happened to visit the zoo, where she heard about his resilience. On her return to France, she penned ‘The Story of George’.
The book received rave reviews in France, and was included in the school curriculum as part of its lesson on the necessity of wildlife and tiger conservation. George’s life battles and how people facilitated his survival are topics French students have been learning eagerly. An elated Claire, who had been unable to travel to Thiruvananthapuram because of the pandemic, told TNIE that she is blessed to have the opportunity to release the book in Kerala.
“The Story of George will be released at the Alliance Française in Thiruvananthapuram on January 20. Eva Martin, director of Alliance Française, and I will be at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode from January 12-15 with George in our luggage,” said Claire, before boarding her flight to Thiruvananthapuram. Alliance Française has also organised meetings with students in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.