Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Mike The Tiger Habitat
Built in 2005 for the university's live mascot tiger, the 15,000 square foot enclosure includes foliage, a waterfall, and a Tigercam. Mike VI died in Oct. 2016. There have been six "Mike"s since 1936. Mike VII now lives in the habitat.
Louisiana State University
- Address:
- N Stadium Rd, Baton Rouge, LA
- Directions:
- Louisiana State University, east of Nicholson Dr. between the LSU Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
- Hours:
- Campus gatehouse on road 7-4:30. Otherwise ungated. Local health policies may affect hours and access.
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He's a beautiful creature, and it's a great place to view a tiger. Currently he's the 7th tiger named Mike at LSU.
[Amanda, 01/11/2019]
Mike has a terminal cancer diagnosis.
[sweetolive, 06/21/2016]Mike the Tiger is a real tiger and the mascot of the University of Louisiana football team. You need to go through the Boom Gate to see him, but the people at the gate are lovely and will let you in. Mike is the sixth tiger to serve as the University's mascot. You can also follow him on a tiger cam.
[Carolyn, 12/08/2014]Next to Mike's "pad" is a bronze statue of a tiger that kids climb on. Mike's new home was paid for by private donations through the Tiger Athletic Fund, a Louisiana State University booster club. Across the street to the south is Tiger Stadium, a.k.a. "Death Valley," among the loudest and most intimidating venues in college football. The original stadium (an older concrete structure beneath the scoreboard and high-rise seating decks) was built when Huey Long, an ardent supporter of LSU, was governor. Long petitioned the legislature for funds to build the stadium. They refused and insisted on a new dormitory instead. So Long submitted, and got approved, a plan to build a new dorm in the shape of a stadium around the football field.
Walking distance uphill from the stadium are two Indian Mounds, roughly conical hills preserved in their original state, i.e. unexcavated. Also walking distance away is the quirky outdoor "Greek Theater" where you can stage your own improv performance if the mood strikes.
[Jeff, 07/31/2013]
LSU's mascot, Mike the Tiger, lives on campus in a huge enclosure. Get there early or late on a cool day and you may catch him playing in his pond.
[Catherine Dyson, 05/14/2013]A succession of Mike the Tigers have been the university's living mascot since the first was bought from the Little Rock Zoo in 1936. The opulent habitat for the current Mike was built in 2005 for three million dollars. During games, one tradition is to position Mike so that visiting teams must walk by his cage to get to their locker room.
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In May 2016, Louisiana State University's Bengal tiger mascot (Mike VI) was found to have spindle cell sarcoma, a rare tissue cancer that is inoperable and fatal. Mike is receiving radiotherapy treatments at a human cancer hospital. He's received get well cards from rival college mascots: Bevo XV (longhorn steer), Tusk IV (boar), and Reveille XI (dog). For now, Mike continues to reside in his outdoor habitat.