Petitions are created every year telling LSU to release its live tiger mascot Mike.
Mike is located directly on LSU’s campus, and he has quite the fan base.
LSU student Kiziah Cameron said, “I like that he is, well a real animal on campus with us. I love to come see him.”
However, not all people are a fan. College Campaigns Assistant for PETA Bryn Smernoff says that Mike’s grand habitat is far from ideal for a tiger.
Tigers are genetically adapted to roam and hunt, and this one acre habitat might not be big enough for Mike.
“We in no way want to endorse the breeding of these animals for entertainment,” Ginger Gutner the Communications Director for the LSU veterinarian school said.
“So, Mikes 4,5,6, and 7 all came from sanctuaries and rescue facilities. So, just like you would go to a shelter to get a dog. The shelter is doing a great job, but your house is better. I happen to think our house is better.”
35,000 people signed a petition wanting to release Mike late last semester. The effort was pushed by a california based group, Care Two.
Is releasing Mike The Tiger into the wild a wise choice?
The LSU Wildlife Club President Amanda Benge said, “I think it would just be better for him to be in a billion-dollar habitat on campus rather than a packed rescue shelter, or even in the wild.” 
PETA also said LSU should recognize times have changed, and they should take this opportunity to honor all tigers who have served as Mike, by making the decision to not subject another tiger to life in captivity.
“If you were to release him into the wild I feel like he would end up, I mean he wouldn’t be able to survive, he has been here for so long. So, I don’t think that would actually help him in anyway,” Kiziah Cameron said.
This was not the first petition Care Two has released directed at the tiger mascot program.
Right after Mike VI was euthanized due to complicationsd from cancer, 142,000 online signatures were collected urging the university to not replace the tiger. 
However, it is going to take more than a petition to stop LSU’s 80-year-old mascot tradition.