We support Mike the Tiger remaining on the LSU campus

In response to the petition requesting the university retire our beloved Mike the Tiger, we would like to show the thousands of people who wish to keep him and the facts about his care and his habitat.

Mike has always received top notch medical care, he is never forced to do anything against his will & he resides in one of the BEST tiger preserves in the country.  He is kept safe.The tradition of visiting Mike on gameday is often done with muti generations of families. The elder generation can always be heard explaining to the younger generation how Mike is a pillar of the great Louisiana State University.

MIKE VI

After Mike V's death PETA contacted the university and urged them not to replace him with a new tiger. However, LSU chancellor Sean O'Keefe rejected PETA's request by stating that LSU would acquire a new tiger. O'Keefe further defended LSU's decision by noting that four of the previous five 'Mikes' lived to be at least 17 years, nearly twice the normal 8-10 year lifespan of tigers in the wild. O'Keefe further explained that tigers were currently a critically endangered species in the wild, and any attempt to preserve them as a species would require some level of raising them in captivity, such as at LSU's veterinary school.

"Roscoe" arrived in Baton Rouge on Saturday, August 25, 2007, after a plane ride from Indiana and was kept quarantined in the "night house" in the LSU habitat, away from the public. On August 31, 2007, LSU officials decided that the tiger was adjusting well and allowed him into the public habitat during morning outings. He was returned to the night house each evening. On his first outing on September 1, 2007, LSU staff invited members of the media and the public to view and take photographs of the tiger.

On September 8, 2007, LSU staff acknowledged that "He’s Mike VI" in a press release. A ceremony dedicating the tiger as officially "Mike VI" took place on September 14, 2007,[12] Mike VI was to make his Death Valley debut at the September 22 game against the University of South Carolina, but LSU Veterinarian David Baker felt that a day game would be rough for the new tiger, delaying his anticipated debut until the October 6, 2007 night game against the University of Florida.

Mike VI is a 9-year old Siberian-Bengal mix male currently weighing over 450 pounds. The product of an "unintended breeding" at Great Cats, University staff believe his youth, size and temperament may give the athletic department a "more ferocious mascot much sooner than watching a cub grow up at LSU. Estimates by LSU Veterinary staff are that Mike VI may top out at 600 lb (270 kg) or more, making him LSU's largest tiger mascot ever


MIKE THE TIGER HABITAT

In 2005, a new $3 million habitat was created for Mike. The Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF) raised funds, entirely from private sources, to subsidize the construction project. The habitat (situated between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center) features state-of-the-art technologies and includes among its amenities lush plantings, a waterfall, a flowing stream that empties into a wading pond, and rocky plateaus. The new habitat ranks among the largest and finest Tiger preserves in the country and expanded Mike's home from 2,000 to 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2). It also features research, conservation, and husbandry programs, as well as educational, interpretive, and recreational activities. Mike's new home can be viewed via the live Tigercam.

TRADITIONS

*On home football game days, Mike's cage on wheels is parked by the opponent's locker room at the southeast end of Tiger Stadium. Opposing players must pass by Mike's cage in order to reach their locker room. (However, Mike is never forced into his trailer: if he does not go in on his own, he remains in his habitat.)

*With his cage topped by the LSU cheerleaders, Mike rides through Tiger Stadium before the start of home games.

*Many students seek to take a picture with Mike on graduation day wearing cap and gown.

RETIREMENT

Mike the Tiger will be cared for long after he retires from University life.

After the death of Mike III in 1976 while he was still LSU's active mascot, a three-stage retirement plan was instituted for the tigers:

Stage 1: He no longer participates in pre-game events such as the roar before the game.

Stage 2: He stops attending the games altogether.

Stage 3: He retires to another location.

In closing, we ask that Mike remains on the LSU campus as he lives a healthy, lavish life and he continues the tradition that many enjoy.

Louisiana State University
President and Chancellor Dr. F. King Alexander

Office of the Chancellor
3810 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808

E-mail: alexander@lsu.edu 

Telephone: 225-578-2111 Fax: 225-578-5524