Stag moves into hunters’ club garden, becomes mascot of French village

The animal has been named Etienne after the village where he now lives

Etienne replaces former mascot stag ‘Emile’

Comité des Fêtes - Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée / supplied by interviewee

Liv Rowland Liv Rowland

Published Monday 14 February 2022 - 12:24 Modified Monday 14 February 2022 - 12:24

A village has announced a new mascot – a wild stag which has chosen to live in the gardens of the local hunters’ club. The stag replaces a former mascot stag ‘Emile’, who died a year ago after six years among the locals.

The hunters have become attached to the newly named Etienne – named after the village, Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée, in the back country behind Nice – with the hunt association president being shown in a video petting the stag and calling it ‘my baby.’

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