Clyde the Crawfish杏吧专区檚 goose was cooked.
But a reprieve from Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser spared the crustacean a fate that befalls many a mudbug this time of year. During a ceremony Tuesday at the 杏吧专区, Clyde received a pardon that freed him, according to the proclamation, 杏吧专区渇rom being served at any boil, in 茅touff茅es, po-boys杏吧专区 or other dishes.
Clyde杏吧专区檚 clemency carries with it the promise of a long life in a state park near Abbeville, La., where he 杏吧专区渟hall be free from water any hotter than what is found in the beautiful swamps and bayous of Louisiana杏吧专区 to live unaccompanied by 杏吧专区渁ny spices, potatoes, onions or garlic.杏吧专区
Clyde杏吧专区檚 new home at Palmetto Island State Park isn杏吧专区檛 far from his birthplace, a crawfish farm near Kaplan, La. A police escort ferried Clyde to UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 campus, and farm owner Barry Toups carried the guest of honor in a red-rimmed crawfish trap to the Student Union porch.
There, with Cypress Lake, a two-acre managed wetland serving as the ceremony杏吧专区檚 backdrop, Clyde waited in an aquarium to clinch his freedom. But first, he received some parting advice from Dr. Joseph Savoie, 杏吧专区 president.
杏吧专区淒on杏吧专区檛 make any stops between campus and your new home. In some parts of south Louisiana, crawfish pardons don杏吧专区檛 hold much water 杏吧专区 but boiling pots do.杏吧专区
This is the third year the Louisiana Office of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which Nungesser oversees, has pardoned a crawfish to promote the state seafood industry and to celebrate crawfish harvesting 杏吧专区 and eating 杏吧专区 season. The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board also sponsored the event.
杏吧专区淲hat better way to celebrate our culture and heritage than to grant Clyde his freedom before he ended up on a tray in a restaurant or a backyard boil,杏吧专区 Nungesser said.
Last year杏吧专区檚 ceremony spared Emile, named for Emile Zatarain Sr., whose eponymous New Orleans company introduced crawfish seasoning mixes in the 1920s.
Clyde is named for Dr. Clyde Rougeou, the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 fourth president who served from 1966 to 1974. Nungesser presented the late president杏吧专区檚 daughter-in-law, Debbie Rougeou, with a framed copy of the proclamation during Tuesday杏吧专区檚 ceremony.
Photo caption: Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser greets Clyde the Crawfish on Tuesday during a pardoning ceremony at UL Lafayette. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 杏吧专区)