Mike the Tiger is the official mascot of Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and serves as the graphic image of LSU athletics. The tiger is a royal Bengal tiger, and its name comes from the school nickname, which is drawn from the legendary Confederate era. LSU has had seven live tigers act as the school’s mascot since 1936, most living in cramped conditions of less than 2,000 square feet.
Mike the Tiger has been a part of LSU for over 87 years, with the current tiger, Mike VII, representing LSU Athletics teams. A tiger in captivity can live 14-18 years. Mike the Tiger has a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MiketheTiger) and is also on Twitter (@MiketheTiger).
Since 1936, LSU has had seven live tigers act as the school’s mascot, most living in cramped conditions of less than 2,000 square feet. Mike VII, an 8-year-old tiger that became LSU’s official mascot in 2017, has never attended a football game. She has covered the Legislature and has covered the Legislature. LSU students staged a campus strike equal to none to welcome their new tiger mascot to campus.
Mike the Tiger, LSU’s live animal mascot, used to be a staple during home games at Death Valley. Now, it’s been nine years since Mike made his debut. LSU’s history, academics, and athletics are all part of the university’s fierce spirit, and Mike the Tiger represents the university’s fierce spirit.
📹 Meet Mike the Tiger: LSU’s Legendary Mascot and His Beautiful Habitat
Welcome to Louisiana State University, home of the LSU Tigers! In this video, we explore the fascinating story of Mike the Tiger, …
Has Mike the Tiger ever escaped?
In 1981, pranksters broke into the LSU mascot’s enclosure, releasing Mike. Police found him wandering in North Stadium Drive and shot him with a tranquilizer pistol. Mike was safely returned to his enclosure. In 1990, he developed a neurologic problem causing mild lameness and slowing down. The Baton Rouge Zoo offered to take him in, but his condition worsened and he became severely disabled. Mike IV was put to sleep in 1995 and his ashes are now in the Andonie Museum next to the LSU Alumni Association. Mike IV was cremated and his ashes are now located in the LSU Alumni Association.
What animal is LSU football?
Mike the Tiger, a Bengal Tiger that represents LSU Athletics teams, is housed in his night house from March through November. In 2005, a $3. 7 million 15, 000-square foot habitat was created for him, featuring lush planting, a live oak tree, a waterfall, and a stream. The habitat’s backdrop features an Italianate tower, a campanile, which connects to the architectural vernacular of the LSU campus. This habitat allows for advanced technologies, research, conservation, and husbandry programs, as well as educational, interpretive, and recreational activities. It is considered one of the largest and finest Tiger habitats in the United States.
Is the LSU Tiger a Bengal tiger?
Since 1936, Louisiana State University has been officially associated with the Bengal tiger as its mascot.
Why is LSU named the tiger?
The term “Tiger Rifles” originated from the volunteer company, the “Old Dominion Guards”, which was raised in New Orleans as part of Major Chatham Roberdeau Wheat’s 1st Special Battalion, Louisiana Volunteer Infantry (2nd Louisiana Battalion). The company consisted of foreign-born, Irish Americans, many of whom had military experience in local militia units or as filibusters. They were organized and trained at Camp Moore. Roberdeau Wheat, a famous filibuster, intended to raise a company of New Orleans troops and a full regiment for Confederate service.
He called his company the “Old Dominion Guards” to commemorate Virginia’s recent secession from the United States to join the Southern Confederacy. With the help of Obedia Plummer Miller, a well-established New Orleans attorney, Wheat quickly recruited fifty or so men, mostly expatriate Virginians, including Henry S. Carey, Richard Dickinson, and Bruce Putnam.
Why is LSU purple and gold?
The LSU brand is symbolized by its colors, purple representing passion and culture, and gold representing excellence. These colors, dating back to 1893, still resonate today. The official colors for LSUE are listed below, and approved complementary colors are used as highlights or accents. The official logo cannot be printed in these colors. The colors are the only ones where the LSUE logo can appear.
Does LSU still have Mike the Tiger?
Mike the Tiger is the only live tiger on a college campus in the U. S., located on North Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge. It is situated between Bernie Moore Track Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and is across the street from Tiger Stadium. Visitors can park on North Stadium Drive and adjacent to Tiger Stadium. Mike is usually outside between 8 a. m. and 8 p. m., including weekends and holidays. Yard work is scheduled each Thursday morning, so Mike remains inside until it is completed.
Why is the LSU mascot named Mike?
Mike, the first LSU mascot, was purchased from the Little Rock Zoo in 1935 and renamed Sheik in honor of LSU’s athletic trainer, Mike Chambers. He assumed his duties as the living symbol of LSU three days after arriving on campus in 1936. In the 1950s, Mike was kidnapped by Tulane fans before a Tiger-Green Wave football game, but was found and returned safely in New Orleans.
A resolution endorsing the purchase of another tiger was introduced in the Louisiana legislature, and a fund was set up by LSU students to underwrite the cost. Mike II, born in 1956, had a short but mysterious life, being chosen due to his larger paws. He was unveiled on September 29, 1956, during the opening game of the new football season. Legend has it that Mike II died of pneumonia at only eight months of age, during a six-game losing streak. A second Mike II was secretly brought in as a ringer.
Mike III, born in 1957, arrived just in time for LSU’s 1958 National Championship football season. During his 18-year reign, LSU won three Southeastern Conference football championships (1958, 1961, 1970) and eight of 13 bowl games. Mike III died of old age in 1976 after the only losing LSU football season of his lifetime. The vet at the time, W. Sheldon Bivin, said he would never allow another tiger to die on campus.
What is the real LSU mascot?
LSU’s live mascot program, Mike I, has been in operation since 1936. The institution, one of only 30 veterinary schools in the United States and Louisiana, is dedicated to enhancing the lives of both humans and animals through the provision of education, research, and service. The current tiger is designated as Mike VII. The institution’s mission is to educate, heal, discover, and protect.
📹 LSU Welcomes Mike VII
On the first day of classes at LSU, students aren’t the only ones getting a start at the university. This morning, Dr. David Baker, …
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