Bad news for Mike The Tiger

#1
Hoosier_Vol

Hoosier_Vol

Vol Stuck in B1G 10 Hell
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#1
From Baton Rouge: Mike the Tiger's cancer has spread.

"We will not allow Mike to suffer. We will monitor him closely every day and will humanely euthanize him when the time comes. This is about treating Mike with dignity, compassion and respect.” -Attending Veterinarian David Baker, DVM, Ph.D.
 
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#3
#3
That stinks. Mike had a great life.
 
#6
#6
Yea that's sad, poor Tiger. Actually saw the previous Mike shoot a stream of $$$$ at my friend's father. Hit him right in the head. I laughed so hard I about threw up
 
#8
#8
My baby girl has been asking for weeks to go to an LSU game so she could see Mike. They did something at school, and the teacher used him (pictures) for a story. Sad news.
 
#10
#10
LSU needs to get rid of their tradition of having a live tiger. It was a cool mascot, but the time has come and gone for them to have an endangered species as a mascot.
 
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#12
#12
Don't like the whole having a live tiger mascot thing, but still very sad. Rough year in Baton Rouge
 
#13
#13
VolunteerHillbilly said:
Hopefully this is the last live Mike. Tigers are not meant to live in captivity.
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I was at an LSU game in 2007, and they had the tiger in a cage that was barely bigger than the tiger. It looked like it could not move at all. There was also very little space between the cage's bars. I'm sure that was to prevent escape, but it also meant you could not see the tiger unless you were standing right in front of it. I didn't see the value in squeezing the tiger into that cage if the fans wouldn't be able to see him from even a short distance.
 
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#14
#14
It's not like they're trapping them from the wild. They're rescue cats or captively bred ones that can't be put back into nature. And they live a lot longer than one would in the wild anyways. The things enclosure is 13k square feet and probably has a dedicated vet and nutritionist. Gets better care than a lot of humans.
 
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#15
#15
DancingOutlaw said:
It's not like they're trapping them from the wild. They're rescue cats or captively bred ones that can't be put back into nature. And they live a lot longer than one would in the wild anyways. The things enclosure is 13k square feet and probably has a dedicated vet and nutritionist. Gets better care than a lot of humans.
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This. I could understand if this was a podunk NAIA program that couldn't afford to keep up a live mascot of the type, but this is LSU. They can afford to keep him (or her) healthy, fed and well treated.
 
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#16
#16
Grand Vol said:
This. I could understand if this was a podunk NAIA program that couldn't afford to keep up a live mascot of the type, but this is LSU. They can afford to keep him (or her) healthy, fed and well treated.
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The problem in my mind is that LSU doesn't run a zoo. They have one animal and although I'm sure it receives excellent care and has a nice "pen", the animal doesn't have the ability to interact with others of its species, breed or raise young. In a zoo setting they do.

Mike the tiger is not a domesticated dog, it's a wild animal in a captive setting and I think they only belong in a zoo that offers an environment as close to nature as possible.
 
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#17
#17
VolStrom said:
The problem in my mind is that LSU doesn't run a zoo. They have one animal and although I'm sure it receives excellent care and has a nice "pen", the animal doesn't have the ability to interact with others of its species, breed or raise young. In a zoo setting they do.

Mike the tiger is not a domesticated dog, it's a wild animal in a captive setting and I think they only belong in a zoo that offers an environment as close to nature as possible.
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Never been wild. Born in a rescue facility. Lives in a great enclosure compared to most zoos. Avg LSU tiger lives twice as long as the overall average.
 
#18
#18
salutethehill said:
Never been wild. Born in a rescue facility. Lives in a great enclosure compared to most zoos. Avg LSU tiger lives twice as long as the overall average.
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You missed my point, but OK, cage up a wild animal born in captivity and seclude them, that makes it right.

Your argument is kinda like saying put a human in solitary confinement, feed him well and give him great health care and he'll outlive the majority of humans. Probably will.

Who wants to live like that?
 
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#20
#20
HuntsVol_AL said:
I can just imagine Mike, Cecil, and Harambe playing Uno up there in heaven.

RIP in peace.
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#21
#21
VolStrom said:
The problem in my mind is that LSU doesn't run a zoo. They have one animal and although I'm sure it receives excellent care and has a nice "pen", the animal doesn't have the ability to interact with others of its species, breed or raise young. In a zoo setting they do.

Mike the tiger is not a domesticated dog, it's a wild animal in a captive setting and I think they only belong in a zoo that offers an environment as close to nature as possible.
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This "wild animal" was already in captivity and donated by a group that rescues the big cats:

MikeTheTiger.com

Mike VI was donated to LSU by Great Cats of Indiana, a nonprofit sanctuary and rescue facility for big cats and other large carnivores, located in Idaville, Ind. He was moved into his home, north of Tiger Stadium on August 25, 2007, and was introduced to the LSU community as Mike VI on September 1, 2007.
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It's not like LSU went out on safari and tranquilized him and brought him back. And you're worried about social interaction? Really? Do you whine about the private individuals who buy big cats and keep them in seclusion as well? Have you said anything about Ralphie from Colorado not being able to go out and roam where the other buffalo roam? Or War Eagle not being able to soar with other eagles from his kind?

So long as live animal mascots are treated well, fed and kept healthy, I really don't care what PETA or anyone else has to say about it.
 
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#23
#23
RIP

I use to eat lunch about 3 days week outside of Mike IV/V's cage and just watch them. Mike V was so small he was the size of a house cat when they got him. I had the opportunity to play around with him like a house cat about dozen time over about month. Within about a month or so, he was too big and aggressive to put on a leash. Very cool experience. Never saw Mike VI. Tigers are beautiful animals though.

I'm kind of torn on the subject, its a good experience for people as then maybe they will respect nature more, and usually these animals can't be left out in the wild. I think if they got two at a time than that would be better. idk LSU has very good Veterinary Medicine School, I remember I had a friend going thru a program and they were always rescuing animals and had large animals. I think they even have off campus sites if I remember for even deers and large animals.

Mikes are treated like Kings though, no doubt in mind about that.

14642182_10154044539843723_6173199607272503889_n.jpg
 
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#25
#25
LSU-SIU said:
RIP

I use to eat lunch about 3 days week outside of Mike IV/V's cage and just watch them. Mike V was so small he was the size of a house cat when they got him. I had the opportunity to play around with him like a house cat about dozen time over about month. Within about a month or so, he was too big and aggressive to put on a leash. Very cool experience. Never saw Mike VI. Tigers are beautiful animals though.

I'm kind of torn on the subject, its a good experience for people as then maybe they will respect nature more, and usually these animals can't be left out in the wild. I think if they got two at a time than that would be better. idk LSU has very good Veterinary Medicine School, I remember I had a friend going thru a program and they were always rescuing animals and had large animals. I think they even have off campus sites if I remember for even deers and large animals.

Mikes are treated like Kings though, no doubt in mind about that.

14642182_10154044539843723_6173199607272503889_n.jpg
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Nice post.
Tigers are still badass.
RIP Mike VI
 
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