In the Footsteps of Zarafa, First Giraffe in France

A writer, novelist, and translator from La Rochelle, France, where Zarafa has been preserved in a local museum, Olivier Lebleu has researched and written about the “first giraffe of France” for fifteen years. This book is a translation of his celebrated history, Les Avatars de Zarafa (Arléa, 2006), later followed by his play, Le Talisman de la Girafe (Amok, 2017). Cynthia T. Hahn is professor of French at Lake Forest College, Illinois. A published poet, she has translated ten novels, collections of short stories, and volumes of poetry by Algerian, French, and Lebanese authors.

• AUTHOR’S NOTE FOREWORD BY BRUCE D. PATTERSON PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1 THE GIRAFFE BEFORE ZARAFA: A Polymorphous Monster 2 ILLUSTRIOUS GODPARENTS: A Predestined Animal 3 THE PASHA’S GIFT: Diplomacy at Stake 4 ZARAFA IN FRANCE: A Royal Triumph 5 THE ANIMAL UNDER A MAGNIFYING GLASS: An Aberration of Nature 6 BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION: An Animal at a Price 7 TRADE AND GIRAFFOMANIA: Marketing Materials 8 POLITICAL CARICATURE: A Satirical Weapon 9 ZARAFA’S LEGACY: An Existential Fable NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND TRANSLATOR

The story of Zarafa is an engaging historical account of African-European encounters that should activate the reader’s love of the giraffe and help save this incredible, endangered animal. This well-researched book by Olivier Lebleu contributes to our efforts to support global understanding of how wildlife such as the giraffe and people may thrive together.