An animal rights group has filed a formal complaint with Louisiana authorities after a Bengal tiger was wheeled onto a football field at Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium before the LSU-Alabama game on Saturday.
The stunt, described as both cruel and illegal by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), involved a stressed tiger transported in a cramped cage across state lines, sparking outrage online and drawing legal attention.
According to PETA, video footage of the incident shows the tiger being towed onto the field by a vehicle, with the animal visibly confined in a transparent box. This pre-game spectacle, viewed by over 100,000 spectators, is seen as a revival of a once-popular tradition at LSU, where live tigers were paraded alongside the football team before games. However, the practice was discontinued in 2015.
The animal rights group is now urging the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to take swift action, calling the stunt a violation of state laws regarding the transport of animals. "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," said PETA in a statement.
Local media reports suggest that Louisiana's Republican Governor Jeff Landry pushed for the return of a tiger at the LSU-Alabama game, despite LSU’s long-standing policy of keeping a live tiger mascot in a secure 15,000-square-foot enclosure on campus. LSU had reportedly rejected requests to bring the tiger from its own facility to the game, and instead, authorities arranged for a tiger owned by a Florida exotic animal handler to be used in the stunt.
PETA argues that the transportation and use of the animal in this context violates state laws designed to protect wildlife from exploitation. "This is not only a cheap publicity stunt, but it's a direct affront to the welfare of the animal involved," said the organization.
The complaint filed by PETA is an urgent request for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to pursue legal action against those responsible for the tiger’s transportation and display. In addition, PETA is calling on LSU to reject future mandates that involve using wild animals in such events.
This latest incident has reignited a debate over the ethical treatment of animals in sports and entertainment, with animal rights advocates urging for stronger protections against the use of live animals in public spectacles.
