Louisiana State University's mascot Mike VI was euthanized on October 11th after veterinarians learned of the his cancer progression. When news broke of the tiger's death, the question arose as to what will become of LSU's 80-year-old tradition.
Will there be a Mike VII?
According to Rebekah Allen, a reporter for The Advocate, LSU's previous tigers were once donated by zoos and two sanctuaries. Current Zoo policies make it difficult for them to donate a new tiger to the school or for them to breed a purebred with Mike VI's Bengal/Siberian mix. Both sanctuaries used by the university have been shut down by the federal government for failing to provide proper animal care.
An LSU spokesmen announced soon after Mike VI's passing that the university had begun the difficult hunt for a new tiger cub.Their aim to attain a cub is understandable. It would grow accustomed to the large student population as well as its handlers and would give LSU more than a decade to plan for a ninth tiger (counting the overnight replacement of Mike II).
It's difficult to estimate the time frame for LSU to jump through holes to get cub. However, if they want to get a tiger before football season ends their best bet can be found approximately 15 miles away at a Grosse Tete Truck Stop.
The Tiger Truck Stop has faced scrutiny in the media for housing a 3,000 square foot attraction with a 550 pound tiger. Tony the tiger is a 16 year old Siberian-Bengal and will be the last tiger to live at the exhibit. The cat has gained the support of activist groups who worry about the condition of both the animal and his habitat.
The truck stop denies these claims and says that Tony is in good health, his cage is kept clean and that the cat loves his owners. Tony brushes himself up against the gate adoringly when Tiger Truck Stop workers whom he is familiar with, approach his cage. Images online show the tiger's home for the last 16 years: a concrete cage with a loft and a small, grassy field for him to play with cat toys at the center.
If only that were the full story.
A video found on the Tiger Truck Stop website tries to sugarcoat the conditions of their facility. The grassy field has been worn down to dry patches of mud-with bits of grass here and there. The company says that Tony is not being poisoned by the gas fumes because his cage is located a considerable distance from the pumps. They argue that the air is better for him than the smog covering the cities. They apparently don't realize that they are located off the interstate, where the exhaust of thousands of cars collect in the air and go up into the atmosphere. Tony also has hay to lay on like a barn animal and a swimming pool that is much smaller than him.
I believe that the cat is content with his cage and that he loves his owners. Still, I am concerned that his habitat appears to be an over-sized kennel that is unsuitable for a wild animal. The only reason that Tony is still legally allowed to live there is because they company was grandfathered in to a 2016 law that prevents the ownership of endangered animals.
Tiger Truck Stop is currently raising money to build a pool and a waterfall. LSU students are currently designing these plans for the company. That is a waste of money to put into a tiger who will only be alive for a few more years. It would be smart of them to donate Tony to the 15,000 square foot habitat that LSU has already built on campus.
The three tigers that the truck stop owned before Tony were retired to a conservation center in Tennessee. Tigers living in captivity are expected to live an average of 18 years. Being only 2 years away from this life-span estimation, getting moved to one of the largest tiger habitats in the United States and embodying the university's school spirit as a mascot is not a bad idea for the cat's retirement plan. Tony would be spoiled with grooming, the best food that money can buy, a sanctuary with constant upkeep and round-the-clock vet services.
The ball is in the court of Tony's owner, Michael Sandlin, as to whether or not donating the tiger is a possibility, If he does decide in favor of relocating Tony to the university, I hope that LSU accepts. Tony is not a tiger cub, but there have been tigers in captivity that have lived to 26 years of age. LSU could possibly have this tiger for another decade, also giving them plenty of time to arrange a Mike VIII.
For more information relating to Tony the Tiger and LSU's Mike mascot check out the links below:
http://www.tigertruckstop.com/index.htm
https://freetonythetiger.wordpress.com/
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_4f860384-8b02-11e6-bfc9-3bffba5a7414.html
