The History of Mike the Tiger

LSU students collected 25 cents each to raise $750 and purchase the university’s first tiger from the Little Rock Zoo. Born on October 10, 1935, the young cub was initially named Sheik after his sire, but he was quickly renamed Mike in honor of LSU’s popular athletic trainer, Mike Chambers. Mike, I arrived on campus on October 21, 1936, and once was even kidnapped by Tulane students in 1950 on the eve of the big game, which ended in a 14-14 tie. (You can read more on that wild tale here.)

After 20 years as LSU’s mascot, Mike I died of kidney disease in 1956. Students again rallied to fund the purchase of Mike II, born February 28, 1956, and unveiled later that fall. Some say Mike II died of pneumonia just eight months later and was quietly replaced, but LSU’s official records list his death as occurring in the spring of 1958.

Mike III (1958–1976), Mike IV (1976–1990), and Mike V (1990–2007) each served during some of LSU’s highest and lowest football moments — from national championship seasons in 1958 and 2003 to a string of forgettable campaigns in the 1980s and ’90s. Mike VI arrived in Baton Rouge from Great Cats of Indiana on August 25, 2007, and presided over LSU’s 2007 national title, two SEC championships (2007 and 2011), and five double-digit win seasons. Sadly, he died from spindle cell sarcoma in 2016.

Mike VII, LSU’s current live mascot, is a Siberian-Bengal hybrid who came from a Florida sanctuary in 2017. LSU has since committed to no longer bringing Mike into the stadium on game days and expressed interest in having his habitat accredited as a sanctuary. Mike VII was part of the unforgettable 2019 national championship run and, with any luck, will be around for another soon.