A tiger sleeps about 20 hours a day. I watched him sleep for two hours yesterday while these kids kept coming up and calling his name. He's just a wisened old cat, and nothing really bothers him anymore. Besides, there's not a finer facility in Louisiana to put him in than where we have him. He's going to pull an FDR, the reaction will be similar (at an appropriate scale- FDR wasn't an LSU mascot), and it will be appropriate. I love him.
Well, Mike IV was actually euthanized after living there for a short time. But, I'm with you in not shipping him to that hell-hole. He's not going into full-blown retirement, but he's taking the first step into it. Most tigers live to be about 20-21 in captivity, and Mike V is now 17 (the oldest Mike was only 19, though). Here are the steps into retirement if you didn't catch them: No participation in pregame events No attending the games Retirement to another location They've tried that with some of the previous Mikes and... that didn't work out too well. The larger cat either hated the cub or was completely indifferent to it.
is this the mike from about '90? if so i am particularly nostalgic because i got to play with him a little as a cub
He's the one. He holds a special place in my heart, too, because I was a sophomore @ LSU when he was a cub. I wasn't there the day they let him out of the cage (and let students play with him), but I have a poster-sized black and white picture of him taken that day; it hangs in my classroom (and always will). If he sleeps all day now, that is a shame because when he was young, he used to pace around in his cage quite a bit. On an interesting note, I walked by the cage every day on the way to and from my car. Most days, he would be lounging when I passed, but any time I wore something red, he would stand up and pace--like he was on the prowl.
They could retire him to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. That has a natural habitate area for its Tigers.
It will be a sad day when Mike V goes. I always go and spend time with Mike when i get to LSU for a game which isnt to often since i live in Cal. but i just like being at his home and seeing him sleeping or not . LSU students should not let the adm. take him from his home until he does go. Part of life is death and from death would come the New Tiger mascot. It is to me all part of the mourning and moving on to feel these emotions. Let Tiger fans pay their respects to a beloved Mascot . Thanks Mike V for all your wonderfull years of service to LSU.
Personally, shipping Mike to a location away from the LSU campus would just seem wrong. I don't know what Mike actually thinks of his habitat, but from a human perspective, Mike is one heck of an esteemed tiger to be living in such an honored environment. I hope a sound, honorable and humane solution can be reached.
That would be great, but they have 2 white tigers in the habitat now. At least they did before Katrina.
