PETA Blasts Governor's Plan to Parade Live Tiger at LSU Games

Louisiana's Gov. Jeff Landry proposed bringing LSU's live mascot, Mike the Tiger, back into Tiger Stadium before football games. This request has started quite the debate amongst Tiger fans and has even gained the attention of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

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PETA sent a formal letter to Landry urging him to reconsider his request due to the age of Mike VII. The animal advocacy group explains that the 8-year-old tiger would be startled by such a significant change in his routine and in no way supports Landry's request, calling it a 'boneheaded idea.'

"Tigers are naturally solitary animals who don’t belong in rowdy football stadiums, and even LSU’s own veterinarians are rightly against the governor on this. Going back to the bad old days of using a wild animal as a sideline sideshow in 2024 is the last thing LSU should do, and PETA is appealing to Gov. Landry to drop this boneheaded idea."

PETA's plea also points out that Mike the Tiger's veterinarians don't support the idea. Considering that they are the ones actually making contact with the tiger daily, their advice should be strongly considered.

PETA's Letter To Jeff Landry:

September 4, 2024

The Honorable Jeff Landry

Governor of Louisiana

Dear Governor Landry,

I’m writing on behalf of PETA in response to troubling reports that you are pressuring Louisiana State University (LSU) to reintroduce its dangerous and cruel tradition of bringing Mike, a live tiger, to football games. PETA hopes that you will carefully consider the impacts such a stunt would have on Mike’s welfare and abandon this misguided idea.

A football stadium is no place for a tiger, a naturally solitary animal who shuns human contact. As LSU’s own veterinarians reportedly expressed to you, and as Rep. Wayne McMahen—himself a veterinarian—stated, bringing Mike to football games would be inherently stressful and could have severe implications for his health. LSU abandoned this tradition nearly a decade ago, in part due to Mike VI’s reactions to the barrage of disorienting lights and noise of Death Valley.

In the years since LSU stopped bringing live tigers to football games, the tide of public opinion has shifted away from exploiting animals for entertainment. Tiger King exposed the dark underbelly of the captive big-cat industry and galvanized momentum for the passage of the federal Big Cat Public Safety Act, which outlaws public contact with big cats. The public—including LSU football fans—recognizes that confining a tiger to a cramped transport cage and parading him in front of a boisterous crowd is a throwback to a crueler era, one that needs to remain in the history books.

Bringing back this archaic tradition would generate attention to LSU and the state of Louisiana for all the wrong reasons, and PETA strongly urges you to reconsider. I hope to hear from you as soon as possible that you have taken Mike’s welfare into consideration and will abandon this plan. Otherwise, PETA will have no choice but to alert its supporters to your out-of-touch proposal.

Very truly yours,

Klayton Rutherford

Manager of Research and Content

Captive Animal Law Enforcement

LSU Fans Sound Off

If you are a proud supporter of the LSU Tigers, then you are surely a huge fan of Mike the Tiger. If experts are urging Landry to reconsider his request based on what is best for Mike shouldn't that be taken into consideration?

Let us know your thoughts on the topic in the comments, and Go Tigers!