US university blasted for parading a live tiger during football game
The stadium’s decision to use a live tiger has been widely criticized as cruel and outdated.
File photo of a captive tiger.
A university’s decision to parade a live tiger during a football game has been widely criticized on social media and by animal welfare groups.
Louisiana State University (LSU) has historically featured a live tiger at its sports games as part of a controversial tradition at its Tiger Stadium. However, LSU dropped the tradition on the advice of its own veterinarians and has not featured a live tiger for nearly a decade.
But in a shocking decision which has been labelled “bizarre” and “cruel”, a live tiger was once again brought out before kickoff at a football game held at LSU’s stadium on November 9th.
It marks the first time the school has wheeled a tiger onto the field since 2015, when LSU originally announced it would no longer bring tigers into the stadium.
The school currently has its own live tiger mascot, known as Mike VII, who is held in a 15,000-square-foot enclosure on the campus opposite the stadium.
A statue of LSU’s tiger mascot on campus.
However, this mascot was not the tiger used at Saturday night’s football game. The game’s live caged tiger is reported to have been provided by Mitchel Kalmanson, who animal welfare groups refer to as a “notorious” animal exhibitor because of his litany of violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act over the last 25 years.
Kalmanson's federal citations include multiple incidents in which tigers he owned escaped during performances.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has suggested that the tiger featured this week at the stadium was allegedly imported illegally.
According to the group, Louisiana state law prohibits big cats, including tigers, from being imported into the state without a specific exemption, which Kalmanson apparently does not have and isn’t eligible for.
“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”, explained Klayton Rutherford, PETA’s Director of Captive Wildlife Research.
PETA says it has filed an urgent complaint with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries over the incident.
Historically, LSU’s tiger mascots had been traumatized by the stadium’s loud noises and fireworks. At Saturday night’s game, the tiger, known as Omar Bradley, was seen pacing in a circle while inside the cage on the field. The animal was kept on the field for around seven minutes.
A file photo of a captive tiger.
The negative response to the stunt has continued to grow as more details have since emerged.
News outlets are reporting that the tiger was imported at the specific request of Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana. This political development has raised questions as to whether state funds were used to pay for the tiger, and whether government powers had been used to push through the animal’s importation.
Governor Landry has since doubled-down amid the criticism. “This is about tradition. And the thing about tradition is about respecting those who came before you,” Landry said about the stunt in comments reported by The Advocate. “At the end of the day, these woke people have tried to take tradition out of this country.”
Over the last few decades, public opposition has steadily grown against tiger captivity and tiger performances.
Awareness of the harsh reality behind tiger entertainment venues reached a new peak with the global success of the Netflix documentary Tiger King, which ultimately led to many of its stars facing legal issues and the surrender of hundreds of captive animals.
And in 2022, the Big Cat Safety Act was passed in the US, which prohibits the private ownership of big cats like tigers and lions, as well as restricting public contact with them such as cub handling.
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