With Mike's time drawing near (tear), I thought it would be fun to learn a little more about him. Here are a few fun facts about our current Mike the Tiger as well as some about the ones before him.
The Mike you see when walking to class today is actually Mike VI. There have been 5 Mikes before him. Mike VI was born on July 23, 2005 and was donated to LSU by Great Cats of Indiana, a nonprofit sanctuary and rescue facility for big cats. He became LSU's on-campus mascot when he was only two years old and 320 pounds on September 1, 2007. He reached his final weight when he was around 6 years old, at 500 pounds. Mike VI made his debut into Tiger Stadium at the 2007 LSU vs. Florida football game.
According to his vet, Mike VI has been the best and healthiest LSU mascot so far, with more personality than the rest of them. Mike VI's enclosure is 13,000 square feet and features elements of LSU's renaissance architecture as well as facts about tigers.
Every day, Mike VI eats around 25 pounds of food which consists of the same types foods given to large cats at zoos. His food consists of beef as well as all the vitamins and minerals he needs. The life expectancy of tigers in captivity is 14-18 years. Mike I and Mike III lived 19 years, Mike IV lived almost 21 years, and Mike V lived 17. Mike VI is currently only 11 years old and battling cancer.
Another fun fact about Mike is that before home games, he is placed in a cage near the visiting team's locker room to intimidate them before they start. Ever wonder why Mike doesn’t make an appearance before every game? Well, instead of forcing him every time, Mike is given the choice as to if he would like to show his face or not. Before home games, his traveling cage is put on the edge of his habitat and opened. By the time the pre-game festivities start, if he has moved into his cage, then he will be brought into Death Valley. Otherwise, he is left alone and not seen before the game. And the legend says that, for every roar that Mike gives during a pre-game lap around the field, that is how many times LSU will score during the game.
While our time with Mike VI is nearing an end, we were lucky to have him all this time and thankful for all the love he has given our school!
