Friday, February 14, 2025

Gov. Landry Backs Return of LSU Live Tiger Mascot Despite PETA

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Gov. Jeff Landry expressed his support on Tuesday for reviving the tradition of bringing Louisiana State University’s (LSU) live tiger mascot onto the football field before home games.

For nearly ten years, a Bengal tiger has not appeared in a cage under the lights of Death Valley, the nickname for LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, where the football team plays. Although LSU officials have not commented on whether they will bring the tradition back, Landry didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts when questioned by reporters.

“I think bringing our mascot back onto that field is an incredible opportunity,” Landry said during a press conference on Tuesday.

However, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) strongly opposes the idea. In early September, PETA sent a letter to Landry, urging against the tradition, calling it cruel and harmful to the tiger’s well-being. They emphasized that tigers are solitary animals who do not belong in loud, chaotic football stadiums.

“Going back to the outdated practice of using a wild animal as a sideline spectacle in 2024 is the last thing LSU should do,” PETA wrote in the letter, calling on Gov. Landry to abandon the idea.

In response, Landry suggested that those concerned “need to calm down.”

The Associated Press reached out to LSU’s athletics department, the School of Veterinary Medicine, and a university spokesperson for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

For years, LSU’s live mascot was brought to the stadium in a trailer topped with cheerleaders before home games. The tiger, traditionally named Mike, would be parked near the visiting team’s locker room, forcing opponents to pass by the caged tiger.

Some mascots even traveled with the team to major events, including the 1985 Sugar Bowl and the Superdome in New Orleans in 1991.

Following the death of Mike VI in 2016 from a rare form of cancer, LSU decided that future tigers would no longer be brought onto the field. Mike VI attended 33 of 58 home games between 2007 and 2015.

The current mascot, Mike VII, an eight-year-old, 345-pound tiger donated to the school from a sanctuary in 2017, remains in a 15,000-square-foot enclosure on campus, near the stadium. While he no longer appears on the field, visitors can still view him in his habitat.

Gov. Landry Backs Return of LSU's Live Tiger Mascot Despite PETA

Animal rights groups have previously called on LSU to stop using live mascots. In response, the university says it provides a home for a tiger in need while educating the public on issues like irresponsible breeding and the illegal captivity of tigers in the U.S.

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LSU is not the only university with a live mascot. Yale University features Handsome Dan, a bulldog; the University of Texas at Austin has Bevo the Longhorn, who appears before football games; and the University of Colorado showcases Ralphie the Buffalo, who runs across the field with handlers before kickoff.

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