Vet School: Potential Mike VI Identified
BATON ROUGE — LSU has identified a juvenile tiger that could potentially become the university’s next live mascot. The two-year-old male tiger currently resides at Great Cats of Indiana, a nonprofit sanctuary and rescue facility for big cats and other large carnivores, located in Idaville, Ind.
More information on the facility can be found at www.greatcatsofindiana.org.
The University is currently looking into both the tiger and the facility at which it resides. Mike V’s caretaker and LSU veterinarian Dr. David Baker is conducting exhaustive research into this tiger’s background, as well as the history of Great Cats of Indiana.
If all goes well, the tiger will be brought to Baton Rouge during the next month. He will be evaluated and quarantined for a minimum of two weeks to ensure that he is healthy and a good fit for LSU. If that occurs, he will then be introduced as the new LSU mascot. Until that time, he is not Mike VI.
To ensure the health, safety and well-being of the animal, LSU will not reveal when the tiger will be brought to campus, nor where he will reside during the quarantine period. Please note that this policy exists for the protection of the animal, and is not flexible. University officials will not provide any further information on the tiger’s background until it is decided whether he will officially be Mike VI. If the tiger does become Mike VI, the university will provide information on the tiger as well as photo opportunities.
University officials appreciate the love and respect that LSU fans have for Mike the Tiger, and would like to thank those fans in advance for understanding the need for these policies surrounding the young tiger being brought to campus.