Man Seen Holding Huge Snapping Turtle in Lafayette Mardi Gras Parade

(Lafayette, Louisiana) - A video on social media has surfaced from a Lafayette Mardi Gras parade, and it shows a man hoisting up a huge snapping turtle as the parade passes through the downtown Lafayette area.

As you might expect, there are mixed feelings about the turtle on the float, with some finding it entertaining and others feeling quite the opposite.

In the viral video from Lafayette, the man is seen showing off the turtle to those along the parade route, and by the looks of it, the turtle would rather be elsewhere.

I did read a few comments under the video, and some made good points. While this turtle was being shown off in a parade, chickens in some parts of Acadiana were running for their lives on the same day, and that's a valid point.

Are Animals Permitted on Mardi Gras Floats

Generally speaking, Mardi Gras Krewes do not allow animals on floats, and state laws prohibit animals from riding on floats in parades. Service animals with the proper permits are allowed, and animals like horses are often exempt from the laws and allowed in parades

To be fair, we do not know if this turtle in the Lafayette parade is a service animal, and yes, we have seen some odd "service animals" allowed in places like on planes and more.

I did find this rule for the Independent Parade in Lafayette, and it reads:

"Any throws other than beads or doubloons must be approved by the parade officials prior to the day of the parade (i.e., no condoms, coconuts, squids, animals, religious items, or items of graphic or sexual nature). The official shall also have the ABSOLUTE right to deny any throw from being included in the parade."

Here's the video circulating on various social media platforms of the huge turtle in a Lafayette Mardi Gras parade.