For the first time in almost a decade, the LSU football team is reportedly having a live tiger on the sideline for its matchup against Alabama.
A wild marquee SEC matchup in Death Valley on Saturday night pits host No. 14 LSU and No. 11 Alabama. With national attention on this ranked game, LSU will reportedly have a special guest on the field throughout the game, and it lives up to their namesake.
Multiple reports indicate that a live tiger will be on the field for the first time in almost a decade.
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Then Louisiana state Sen. Bill Wheat, R-37th District, confirmed to the Louisiana Illuminator that the live tiger will be on the field for the first time since 2015; beloved mascot Mike VI died in 2016.
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Mike VII, who has been the school’s mascot since 2017, will not be the tiger on the sideline, according to reports. He lives across from the stadium in an enclosure, and the 8-year-old tiger has never attended a game at Tiger Stadium.
Where this tiger attending the game is from and whether he will be taken care of by LSU, remains unclear at the moment.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said 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.
According to the Louisiana Illuminator, Landry set up an unofficial committee to talk to LSU about bringing a live tiger back to the sideline.
Surgeon general Ralph Abraham, a veterinarian, was reportedly instrumental in making this happen for LSU. Wheat is also a veterinarian who provided help in the matter.
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