Meet Harvey, soon to be Mike VII

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BATON ROUGE – It’s move-in day at LSU. While students are moving into their residence halls, another new prospective member of the LSU community is also moving in this week – a possible new tiger mascot.

The tiger, “Harvey,” arrived on campus Aug. 15 and is currently being housed in the night house of the tiger habitat. The 11-month-old, male tiger must be quarantined in the night house for at least one week so that he can be observed by LSU veterinarians to ensure that he is healthy and a good fit for LSU. If that occurs, he will be formally introduced as the new mascot. Until that time, he is not Mike VII.

During the quarantine period, this rescue tiger will be acclimating to his new surroundings and will not be on view to the public or available for the media to photograph; his overall health must come first. Therefore, a photo of Harvey is attached so the LSU community can see him. Please note: Harvey is not Mike VII until he is formally introduced as the new mascot and released into his yard. If that occurs, LSU will notify the media and the public in advance.

Since Dr. David Baker, LSU’s attending veterinarian, will be busy caring for Harvey, and since Harvey is not Mike VII at this time, Dr. Baker will not be available for media interviews during the quarantine period. However, if Harvey becomes Mike VII, Dr. Baker will address the media and take questions at a news conference, which will be announced in advance.

Harvey was donated to LSU from a sanctuary in Okeechobee, Fla., called “Wild at Heart Wildlife Center.” Mikes IV, V and VI were also donated to LSU from rescue facilities. LSU has not purchased a tiger since Mike III in 1958, and LSU does not support the for-profit breeding of tigers. By providing a home for a tiger that needs one, LSU hopes to raise awareness about the problem of irresponsible breeding and the plight of tigers kept illegally and/or inappropriately in captivity in the U.S.

The tiger habitat and LSU’s animal care plan are licensed by the USDA. The facility, tiger and animal care programs are inspected annually to ensure that they comply with the Federal Animal Welfare Act and other USDA policies and guidelines.

This and other information on LSU’s tigers can be found online at www.lsu.edu/mikethetiger. You can follow Mike on facebook (www.facebook.com/mikethetiger), Twitter (@mikethetiger) and Instagram (@mikethetiger_lsu).

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 30 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. The LSU SVM is dedicated to improving the lives of people and animals through education, research and service. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.

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