LSU controversially wheeled a caged Bengal tiger onto the field in front of 100,000 fans before their huge clash against Alabama on Saturday night.
For the first time in nearly a decade, a live tiger was part of gameday in Baton Rouge.
Louisiana governor Jeff Landry reportedly led the push to bring back the school’s divisive stunt, which sparked a furious backlash among fans and campaigners.
The move also led PETA to issue a blistering statement on Saturday that declared the stunt ‘cruel and dangerous’.
However, the LSU fans greeted the tiger, which reportedly belongs to a former circus performer who has faced a litany of animal abuse allegations, with a huge ovation.
LSU controversially wheeled a live caged tiger onto the field before their game with Alabama
The 100,000 fans in attendance went crazy as LSU brought back a famous old tradition
Initially, the tiger was lying down, and soon after started pacing in a circle in front of the fans
When the tiger was towed onto the field with a black curtain draped over the cage, massive display boards played a short video detailing the history of LSU’s live mascot.
Stadium lights darkened and a spotlight was pointed at the cage as the curtain was lifted, revealing the tiger inside as many fans cheered.
Initially, the tiger was lying down, and soon after started pacing in a circle. Minutes later, the cage was wheeled off the field as pregame festivities went on.
The tiger was not the one which lives on campus, Mike VII.
Following the death of the school´s previous tiger, Mike VI, in 2016, LSU announced that future Mike the Tigers would no longer be brought onto the field.
According to the school’s website, Mike VI, who died from a rare form of cancer, had attended 33 of 58 home between 2007 and 2015.
While the university’s current live mascot, Mike VII – an eight-year-old, 345-pound tiger donated to the school from a sanctuary in 2017 – is not brought onto the field for games, visitors can still see the tiger in his 15,000-square-foot enclosure, which is on the campus adjacent to the stadium.
As a work-around, Landry arranged for a tiger to be imported from Florida for the game – much to the chagrin of animal rights activists, who protested outside the stadium.
LSU hosted Alabama at Tiger Stadium on Saturday night in a mouthwatering showdown
Its owner, Mitchel Kalmanson, is accused of failing to properly feed big cats, as well as keeping them in a vehicle with maggots, food waste and excrement. On two occasions, his tigers have escaped, too.
In a statement sent to DailyMail.com, PETA foundation associate director of captive wildlife research Klayton Rutherford said: ‘Trucking a stressed tiger across state lines and cramming him into a clear box in a raucous football stadium is not only cruel and dangerous, it’s also apparently illegal in Louisiana.
‘So it’s no surprise that only a scofflaw showman like Mitchel Kalmanson would do it.
‘PETA has filed an urgent complaint with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries asking it to pursue all available remedies against Kalmanson for this cheap stunt and urges LSU to ignore the bizarre—and unlawful—mandate from Louisiana’s attention-seeking governor and reject the idea of bringing tormented wild animals to games.’
Kalmanson is linked with the Lester Kalmanson Agency, which provides animals for circuses and zoos and also specializes in transporting exotic wildlife.
According to the agency’s website, Kalmanson has previously provided circus animals throughout the USA, Mexico, South Africa and Europe.
He has also transported – among others – Lions to Paris, Pandas to South East Asia and Russian-Siberian foxes to places around the world.
Mitchel Kalmanson (right) has faced a litany of animal abuse allegations over recent decades
Louisiana governor Jeff Landry has been pushing for the return of tigers at LSU games
In 2003 and 2004, according to PETA, his tigers escaped during circus performances. Then, in 2006, two cubs caught a bone disease after not being properly fed. One died.
A US Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection report claims that in 2015, Kalmanson prevented tigers from taking daily exercise and kept them in a filthy vehicles.
It reportedly took 10 hours to bring the tiger from Florida to Baton Rouge. The animal is named Omar Bradley, after the legendary US Army general.
According to the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation website, ‘LSU has not purchased a tiger since Mike III in 1958, and LSU does not support the for-profit breeding of tigers.
‘By providing a home for a tiger that needs one, LSU hopes to raise awareness about the problem of irresponsible breeding and the plight of tigers kept illegally and/or inappropriately in captivity in the U.S.
‘The tiger habitat and LSU’s animal care plan are licensed by the USDA. The facility, tiger and animal care programs are inspected annually to ensure that they comply with the Federal Animal Welfare Act and other USDA policies and guidelines.’
