LSU brings live tiger on field at Alabama game marking return to 'cruel and dangerous' tradition

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: Lousiana State University (LSU) created a massive controversy by bringing a Bengal tiger out onto the football field before their game against Alabama on Saturday, November 9, reported the Daily Mail.

The tiger, which represented the team mascot, was brought out in a wheeled cage in front of 100,000 spectators and marked the return of a tradition that was discontinued over the last decade.

The stunt, which was slammed by PETA as "cruel and dangerous," was reportedly pushed for by Lousiana governor Jeff Landry, for which he faced backlash on social media. However, fans present at the stadium greeted the tiger with a huge ovation.

Where did the tiger come from?

LSU has a tiger named Mike VII, who is their mascot and lives on the campus, but he was not the one to appear on the field. Instead, Landry arranged for a tiger to be flown in from Florida, ignoring protests from animal rights activists.

The owner of the tiger, Mitchel Kalmanson, is accused of not taking proper care of the big cats and keeping them in pitiful conditions. His tigers have twice previously escaped captivity.

Though Mike VII was not present on the field, he could still be seen in his 15,000-square-foot enclosure on campus adjacent to the stadium. His predecessor, Mike VI attended 33 of 58 homes between 2007 and 2015.

After his death from a rare form of cancer in 2016, LSU announced that it would not bring live animals to the field.

Statement by PETA

PETA Foundation associate director of captive wildlife research Klayton Rutherford shared a statement over the incident with the Daily Mail that read, "Trucking a stressed tiger across state lines and cramming him into a clear box in a raucous football stadium is not only cruel and dangerous, it's also apparently illegal in Louisiana."

"So it's no surprise that only a scofflaw showman like Mitchel Kalmanson would do it," he continued. "PETA has filed an urgent complaint with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries asking it to pursue all available remedies against Kalmanson for this cheap stunt and urges LSU to ignore the bizarre—and unlawful—mandate from Louisiana's attention-seeking governor and reject the idea of bringing tormented wild animals to games."

Online outrage over live tiger at game

Netizens were furious with Jeff Landry and the LSU for rolling out a caged tiger at the football game. The following tweets demonstrate their takes.

"This makes us look like a bunch of backwoods rednecks. The trailer is flea market quality it’s cringe..The whole f*****g thing. All to stroke La Governor Jeff Landry’s ego, a f*****g ULL goon deliberately fucking with LSU tradition. There is nothing organic about this at all," stated a user.

"Hey @JeffLandry you’re a piece of s**t for bringing in that tiger for the LSU Alabama game. There’s a reason Mike isn’t brought out for games anymore and your need for 'tradition' is weak. Do better," wrote another.

"Forcing a live tiger to go to a college football game with 102,000 spectators and using taxpayer money to ship it in from florida is animal abuse and disgusting @JeffLandry @LSU," shared a third.

"Bringing a live tiger into Tiger Stadium has proven to be a detrimental decision in regards to the care of those majestic animals. It’s ok to let traditions die and remember them fondly, but know it’s the right choice. @LSUsports @LSUfootball do better. Don’t let this happen," posted a fourth.

"This is NOT cool. There's a reason LSU's vet school does not allow Mike the Tiger to go to games. It's stressful and inhumane. Bringing a different tiger is unacceptable; this can't happen again," slammed a fifth.

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