"LSU ABUSES TERRIFIED ANIMAL IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS": Fans blast LSU's live caged tiger stunt at Alabama game sidelines

LSU brought back a live tiger to the Tiger Stadium when it hosted Alabama in a high-stakes game on Saturday. It was reported during the week that the school had completed plans to revive the mascot tradition which was halted in 2016 following the death of Mike VI.

The tiger, which is not the team's official live mascot, Mike VII, was brought into the stadium in a truck ahead of kickoff. It was unveiled to the fans in a cage, creating a scary and intimidating presence. However, the stadium fans loudly cheered the tiger as it was unveiled.

The revival of the live mascot tradition hasn’t gone well with a lot of fans across the country. Many believe having the tiger for entertainment purposes is an abuse and an unethical practice from the university. Here’s a look at some of the reactions of the fans online.

"LSU ABUSES TERRIFIED ANIMAL IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF FANS🔥🔥🔥🔥"

"MIKE! Definitely wants to go back to sleep though," said another fan.

"Why are bringing this back!! That tiger is scared as crap and it took our tax $$$ to bring him in from Florida 🤦‍♂️," another fan said.

Here are other reactions online:

"Why are we pretending this is awesome," a fan wrote.

"I feel bad for that tiger, idk what he is actually feeling but in all that chaos I wouldn’t be surprised if he was feeling major stress. I don’t know tho," another fan wrote.

"The last time should have been the last time," another fan wrote.

Details of the return of live tiger to LSU games

History was revived on Saturday when a live tiger was unveiled at the Tiger Stadium. Having a live mascot was a way LSU had intimidated teams visiting Baton Rouge for several years and the return means a lot for the program and its fans despite the outrage at the move.

The return of LSU's live tiger mascot tradition is said to have been driven by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who expressed his desire earlier this fall to bring back the iconic symbol to the university. Since then, anticipation for the tiger’s return has been steadily building.

Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, who is a veterinarian, has been instrumental in orchestrating the revival of the tradition. He is reported to have worked closely alongside the state’s governor and necessary authorities to bring back LSU's live tiger mascot.

Governor Landry formed an unofficial committee to push for the return of a live mascot at LSU football games as reported by the Illuminator earlier in the week. The group includes State Senator Bill Wheat, a veterinarian who has also played a key role in the initiative.

Why was a new live mascot used instead of Mike VII?

The tiger unveiled at the Tiger Stadium on Saturday isn’t Mike VII, the current official mascot of the university since 2017. Although Mike VII has held the role for eight years, he has never attended an LSU game.

Reportedly, undisclosed concerns have prevented Mike VII from being brought to Tiger Stadium. In response, Ralph Abraham recommended substituting him with a different tiger for Saturday’s game to mitigate these concerns. The identity and origin of this new tiger remain a mystery.