Despite backlash from animal rights groups, Gov. Jeff Landry is pushing for the revival of LSU’s live tiger mascot tradition of returning to the sidelines during football games. While some may see it as a cruel sideshow, Landry believes it’s an “unbelievable opportunity.”
Meanwhile, PETA is urging the governor to drop his “boneheaded idea” and let tigers remain in their natural solitary state, rather than be paraded in rowdy football stadiums.
As for LSU, it remains silent on the issue, but according to official sources, Mike VII, the current live mascot, is not brought onto the field for games due to the school’s efforts to educate about irresponsible breeding and keeping tigers in captivity.
Similar schools with live mascots include Yale’s Handsome Dan, UT Austin’s Bevo the Longhorn, and CU’s Ralphie the Buffalo – all receiving mixed reactions from critics and fans alike.
Should we continue exploiting wild animals for entertainment value? The answer seems pretty clear: nope. No word on what is inspiring Governor Landry’s stance on having a live caged tiger on the sidelines at LSU games.
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