Zoé's Ark was formed "by motoring enthusiasts from the French four-wheel-drive community to aid victims of the December 2004 Asian tsunami".
[1] More specifically, Zoé's Ark was founded in 2005 by volunteer fireman[1] Éric Breteau, former president of the French 4x4 Federation,[1] who named it after a girl orphaned by the December 2004 Asian tsunami.
[citation needed] The group, registered as a non-governmental organization with the French authorities, sought to aid children affected by the tsunami, and brought one boy to France for an operation.
[2] On Tuesday, 30 October 2007, six members of the charity organization Zoé's Ark were formally charged by the government of Chad for child abduction.
[1] French president Nicolas Sarkozy successfully negotiated the dropping of charges and release of the journalists and flight crew members prior to trial.