LSU hauls live tiger around Tiger Stadium before kickoff against Alabama
LSU has done it, bringing a live tiger onto the field ahead of a key conference contest against Alabama.
The tiger was wheeled around the sidelines ahead of kickoff on Saturday night, creating an intimidating scene for the visiting Crimson Tide just moments before kickoff in the massive showdown.
You can check it out below.
Saturday night marked the first time that LSU has brought the live tiger inside the stadium since 2015. It used to be a commonplace occurrence, but that practice stopped with the latest Mike being adopted by the school in 2017.
Mike VII, the LSU mascot that lives in a live enclosure on campus, was not the live tiger used on Saturday night.
The tiger being used on Saturday night will reportedly be one brought in from a wildlife refuge, at the behest of Governor Jeff Landry.
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Landry has previously pushed for LSU to re-adopt the tradition.
“I think the opportunity to bring our mascot back onto the field is an unbelievable opportunity,” Landry said in September.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly was asked about the possibility after Landry broached the subject. He left those answers to the school as well as decision-makers, such as the animal’s veterinarians, to handle that discussion and decision.
“I heard about it all on Twitter,” Kelly said. “I don’t have any comments, obviously, on that. That is something that I’ll let our university and those that are much more educated on that to come up with a statement and make decisions on that.
“That is something that I just don’t have enough information on.”
The university had pushed back on grounds that it is inhumane to the tiger to subject it to the stresses of being wheeled around the field with 100,000-plus cheering fans in attendance. As such, the current live tiger mascot, Mike VII, lives across the street from Tiger Stadium in his 15,000 square foot enclosure.
On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this report.