In the wake of LSU’s announcement that its live tiger mascot, Mike VI, has terminal cancer, PETA and LSU Animal Advocates are asking the university to end the live mascot tradition altogether.
In a letter addressed to LSU president F. King Alexander, PETA argues captive big cats suffer psychologically when confined and placed in stressful environments, adding that the added responsibility of a live mascot attending football games in Death Valley only amplifies the harmful effects of captivity.
“People go to LSU football games because they want to see top college athletes playing the best football in the country, not because there’s a caged tiger sitting on the sidelines,” the letter reads.