But where did “Doudou the rooster” go? The government’s feathered mascot has not been found for several days

The black rooster who has lived since 2018 in the gardens of the ministries located at the Rothelin-Charolais mansion in Paris has not been found for several days. It was offered by Edouard Philippe to Christophe Castaner.

But where did Doudou the rooster go? The government’s feathered mascot has not been found for several days, franceinfo learned on Friday, November 24. This black rooster has been frolicking since 2018 in the gardens of the ministries located in the Rothelin-Charolais mansion, rue de Grenelle, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.

The former Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, gave the animal to Christophe Castaner for his birthday. In November 2018, “when I was elected general delegate of La République en marche, I made a big speech (…) The Prime Minister was there. I was equipped with two lavalier microphones. I thought the microphones were muted so I leaned towards him to get his opinion, because it’s a tense moment and I said to him: were you okay, my chicken?” he said in the show Touche pas à mon poste.

In January, on Christophe Castaner’s birthday, Edouard Philippe is “arrived with a crate, with a chicken inside which was a rooster.“The animal was named “Doudou”, the nickname of the mayor of Le Havre. A hen, Rosa, keeps him company.

Doudou and Rosa adopted by other members of the government

A few months later, in October, Christophe Castaner left his post as Secretary of State in charge of relations with Parliament to become Minister of the Interior. He left rue de Grenelle for place Beauvau, leaving the two gallinaceous birds behind.

“Doudou” and “Rosa” were adopted by other members of the government. During the reshuffle in July 2022, Olivia Grégoire was replaced by Olivier Véran as spokesperson. In her handover speech, she allowed herself a touch of humor and declared to her successor: “Our rooster, Doudou, is in great shape. He’s a bit of a mascot in this spokesperson. I know, I spoke to Doudou about it, that you will know how to care about him. He is quite talkative, quite noisy. So I advise you to establish excellent relationships from the start.“