Louisiana State University's most recent live mascot, Mike the Tiger, has died from terminal cancer.
Even worse? The search is beginning for a new live mascot.
While the university has done a wonderful job improving the quality of the tiger's enclosure, increasing its size and improving the variety of outdoor activities for the tiger, it is cruel to sentence another tiger to a life confined in a limited space only to be allowed outside for display at football games for entertainment.
Beyond the confinement of one animal, buying tigers encourages the breeding of tiger cubs outside species survival management plans, and feeds into the black market for tiger meat, furs, and tiger bone wine.
Now is the perfect opportunity to end the use of live tigers as mascots for the school. This practice of using live animals as mascots needs to end at ALL colleges and universities.
As an alumnus of Louisiana State University and an animal lover, I feel that it is necessary to bring attention to this issue and, with your signature, bring pressure to bear on LSU as quickly as possible to discontinue the use of live tigers as mascots.
For more information, read this article from the BR Advocate.
TO: Chancellor F. King Alexander
Please do not use another live tiger as the university's mascot. We, the undersigned, wish to indicate our opposition to the use of such a large wild creature for entertainment purposes while it lives out its life in a cage.
