Louisiana governor Jeff Landry gave a hand in convincing LSU to bring out a live tiger for its game against Alabama this past weekend, and doubled down on his initiative after the team lost 42-13. It was intended to revive the program’s tradition of having a live tiger, named “Mike the Tiger,” appear at games.
The decision to have the live tiger brought forth controversy and criticism, but Landry dismissed those criticisms during a speech Monday night in Metairie at an event known as “Politics with a Punch.”
“I had more people come up to me, and they remembered Mike the Tiger more than some of the great plays in Tiger Stadium,” Landry said, via CBS Sports. “And they grew up as children seeing this. It’s about tradition. At the end of the day, these woke people have tried to take tradition out of this country. It’s tradition that built this country.”
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Landry went on to say that having the tiger at the recent games was about respecting tradition. The university previously had a live tiger at games but discontinued the tradition in 2015 amid controversy over the treatment of the endangered species. The most recent animal to appear at games with the famed mascot name “Mike the Tiger” died in 2016. He was the sixth in his line, known as Mike VI.
“I’m going to tell you something. This is about tradition. And the thing about tradition is about respecting those who came before you,”
The university keeps its current live tiger mascot named Mike VII in a 15,000-square-foot enclosure on campus. A different tiger, named Omar Bradley, was shipped over from Florida’s Worldwide Exotic Animal Talent Agency to appear at Saturday’s game.
Landry’s office also said on Monday that no state or LSU funds were used “for any aspect of the tiger.”
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The governor also used his speaking event on Monday to shame the LSU players for their performance against Alabama.
“Our tiger, our live tiger, unfortunately, disappointingly, was the only tiger who showed up Saturday. I’m sorry,” Landry said.
Landry said earlier this year that he wished to see a live tiger back on the sideline in Death Valley, and this move could be due to that wish. The governor previously preached the importance of honoring tradition during an interview on Fox News last Friday.
“This is about tradition,” Landry said. “This is about from Mike I through VI. We have had a live mascot on the field, like many other colleges have before.”
The tiger’s owner Mitchel Kalmanson told WBRZ that they practiced bringing Omar into Tiger Stadium and simulated the lights and loud music last Thursday and Friday night. He did not tell the news station who paid for the event and would not confirm whether he would bring tigers to future LSU games.
“The animal was not sedated,” he said. “The animal was habituated. The animal did not have its ears pinned.”
Louisiana’s Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Madison Sheahanspoke out on the issue Monday, according to The Advocate.
“The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) regulations prohibiting the importation and possession of big exotic cats, including tigers, provide exemptions for certain entities,” Sheahan said in a statement. “Exempted entities include universities, such as LSU, that have consistently and historically possessed a big exotic cat as its mascot, and traveling exhibitors incorporated under a valid USDA Class C Exhibitor License who are only in the state temporarily.”
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