Clyde the Crawfish小蝌蚪APP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 小蝌蚪APP, Clyde received a pardon that freed him, according to the proclamation, 小蝌蚪APP渇rom being served at any boil, in 茅touff茅es, po-boys小蝌蚪APP or other dishes.
Clyde小蝌蚪APP檚 clemency carries with it the promise of a long life in a state park near Abbeville, La., where he 小蝌蚪APP渟hall be free from water any hotter than what is found in the beautiful swamps and bayous of Louisiana小蝌蚪APP to live unaccompanied by 小蝌蚪APP渁ny spices, potatoes, onions or garlic.小蝌蚪APP
Clyde小蝌蚪APP檚 new home at Palmetto Island State Park isn小蝌蚪APP檛 far from his birthplace, a crawfish farm near Kaplan, La. A police escort ferried Clyde to UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檚 backdrop, Clyde waited in an aquarium to clinch his freedom. But first, he received some parting advice from Dr. Joseph Savoie, 小蝌蚪APP president.
小蝌蚪APP淒on小蝌蚪APP檛 make any stops between campus and your new home. In some parts of south Louisiana, crawfish pardons don小蝌蚪APP檛 hold much water 小蝌蚪APP but boiling pots do.小蝌蚪APP
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 小蝌蚪APP and eating 小蝌蚪APP season. The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board also sponsored the event.
小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP Nungesser said.
Last year小蝌蚪APP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 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 fourth president who served from 1966 to 1974. Nungesser presented the late president小蝌蚪APP檚 daughter-in-law, Debbie Rougeou, with a framed copy of the proclamation during Tuesday小蝌蚪APP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 / 小蝌蚪APP)