Could be hard finding LSU tiger mascot when Mike VI dies

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A variety of experts representing zoos, exotic animal sanctuaries and animal welfare organizations say LSU could run into challenges sourcing its next live tiger without inadvertently supporting a controversial industry - the for-profit breeding and trading of wild animals in North America. Critics of that brand of breeding say it contributes to the world of dispirited roadside zoos and overcrowded private menageries that often don’t offer proper care for exotic wildlife.

“No reputable zoo and no reputable sanctuary is going to give a tiger to LSU,” said Debra Leahy, an expert in captive wildlife protection with the Humane Society of the United States. “The only source could be a shady pseudo-sanctuary or a roadside zoo, but by perpetuating the live mascot, they are participating in exotic animal trade.”

down by the federal government for failing to provide proper care.

Zoo policies on animal donations have evolved over several decades and now largely bar tiger exchanges that aren’t grounded in a strictly guided species survival plan. And true animal sanctuaries, ones that are accredited, wouldn’t give a tiger to LSU because it’s antithetical to their mission, animal welfare groups say.

David Baker, LSU’s veterinarian for Mike, said he would not comment on where a future tiger could come from.

“LSU will always do the right thing,” Baker said. “But I’m not going to talk about the next tiger.”

Despite his name, Mike VI is actually LSU’s seventh live tiger. Mike II was two separate tigers, but the first one died too soon for the school’s comfort, so university officials surreptitiously replaced him with a new big cat while insisting it was the same one. Baker, who wrote a book on the origins of Mike, confirmed the 1950s LSU folklore.

Both the current mascot and his predecessor Mike V came to LSU from places that called themselves sanctuaries. But both of those businesses have since been shut down for a long list of chronic violations related to the health of the animals and the safety of the public.