2 weeks Ago
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry speaks in the Louisiana House of Representatives on the opening day of a legislative special session, Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La. (Hilary Scheinuk / The Advocate, Pool) Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is excited a live tiger will be back on the field at LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.
Landry joined Fox News on Friday to discuss the importance of having a live version of LSU's mascot on the field ahead of its matchup against Alabama on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC), even if it won't be Mike the Tiger himself.
"This is about tradition. This is about from Mike I through VI, we have had a live mascot on the field, like many other colleges have before," Landry said. "Of course, we're honoring those Mike's.
And no one is going to take away the honor and respect and love that we have for Mike VII. "Our hope is that maybe we can get this tiger to roar a couple of times, and that'll indicate how many touchdowns we'll have, and that'll be more than Alabama." Louisiana Surgeon General Dr.
Ralph Abraham also issued a statement on the tiger's upcoming appearance at the game, noting that he has met with the big cat in question. "We had numerous discussions and took every step to ensure this was safe for the tiger. I spent several hours with the tiger last night and you could tell he was comfortable around people and enjoyed the attention," the statement read.
"He's in great health, well cared for by his owners and socially acclimated. "As both a veterinarian and medical doctor, I couldn't think of a better day to literally and figuratively be a tiger." LouisianaSports.
net first reported the news Friday of the tiger's appearance. Sources have told The Advocate that the tiger's name is Omar Bradley and is coming from Florida. LSU football coach Brian Kelly, when asked about the tiger being at Saturday's game, only said "I'm a huge tiger fan.
" Animal rights activists, including Klayton Rutherford, the associate director of captive wildlife research at the PETA Foundation, are staunchly against bringing any tiger into Tiger Stadium in front of a game environment. LSU has not brought a live tiger into Tiger Stadium since 2015. "These are naturally shy animals that shun human contact.
Death Valley is famous for being the loudest and rowdiest stadium," Rutherford said. "It is great for football fans but terrifying to Mike. LSU got that when it stopped bringing Mike to football games nearly a decade ago.
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