Letter to the Editor:
Live tiger a bad idea
Published Feb. 2, 2010
Please consider all of the facts before deciding to obtain a live tiger for a mascot. Your team has done well and will continue to do so without a live tiger. It is the players, the coaches, and the fans that make up the team -- not the mascot's species. A man in a suit is an interactive experience that is a lot of fun, as opposed to a scared animal in a cage. LSU has to drug their tiger, Mike, before taking him out onto the field. Do you want to have to drug a great cat with Prozac as well?
Please see this link to read about the unexpected costs of owning a big cat:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/buy_a_big_cat.htm
Next consider the social cost of becoming a lightening rod for animal rights activists, the immorality of keeping a wild animal, and the sheer boredom of jailed life, briefly.
Thanks for reading.
Comments (4)
3:40 p.m., Feb. 2, 2010
Dr. David Baker said:
As veterinarian for LSU's "Mike" the Tiger, I would like to address the allegation that, "LSU has to drug their tiger, Mike, before taking him out onto the field." This is entirely false. We do not administer medications of any kind to facilitate loading Mike into his transport trailer or to make him more calm on the field. Mike voluntarily enters his trailer. On the rare occasions when, for whatever reason, he does not load, then he is not taken to the day's event. Our current tiger, Mike VI, was selected in part because of his calm, confident nature, which is clearly evident by his willingness to enter his trailer and by his relaxed demeanor while on the field.
3:57 p.m., Feb. 2, 2010
Kevin said:
Now consider the publicity and number of students who will associate Mizzou positively with a live Tiger...just as they do Mizzou athletics.
10:13 p.m., Feb. 4, 2010
scam? said:
To me this looks like a form letter by some animal rights group used to creat attention to themselves (peta anyone) everyone knows that half the time peta (and other animal rights groups) are just looking for attention and have no real knowledge on the subject. Thank you Dr. Baker for responding and i am sorry anyone would accuse you of this, now please go resarch your stuff animal rights groups and stop creating statistics out of this air...
10:08 a.m., Feb. 2, 2010
Stephanie Vitt said:
This would be no life for a tiger. Please don't keep a live tiger for your "benefit".