Louisiana State University received a healthy dose of backlash after bringing out a live tiger in a cage at its football game on Saturday. Showcasing a live tiger on the sidelines was a long-standing tradition at the school, but since 2015 LSU has shied away from the practice. Currently, at least one live tiger mascot, Mike VII, lives on campus in a 15,000-square-foot enclosure. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, however, has called for the return of the practice, with many at LSU condemning the move. The movement to stop the school from bringing out the live animal has received over 26,000 signatures between the six petitions on Change.org. The biggest one, which has garnered over 14,000 signatures, read: “It is traumatic for a wild creature to be exposed to the noise, lights, and crowd of a football stadium.” Reporting by CNN said that the tiger, named Omar Bradley, laid down and paced in the cage for a few minutes, with photographers surrounding. Protestors were also outside of the stadium on game day, with signs reading “Justice for Omar,” and “No live tigers on the field!” The opposing team, Alabama, ended up winning the game.
