BATON ROUGE -- Just after 2 p.m. CDT on Friday, LSU's live Bengal tiger mascot arrived at his new 15,000 square foot habitat. Mike the Tiger, 16, has lived at the Baton Rouge Zoo since November of 2004, as his new home was built.

According to Dr. David Baker of the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, Mike's primary caretaker, he will not venture out of the interior of his habitat until at least Sunday as the tiger becomes familiar with his surroundings.

The new environment created for LSU's live Bengal tiger mascot includes lush planting, a waterfall and a stream evolving from a rocky backdrop overflowing with plants and trees. Mike's old cage was only 2,000 square feet in size.

The habitat has, as a backdrop, a tower that creates a visual bridge to the Italianate architectural theme that is found throughout the LSU campus. At a cost of $2.9 million, funded exclusively by the Tiger Athletic Foundation through privately raised donations, it is one of the largest and finest Tiger habitats in the United States.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Monday, Aug. 29, at 10:30 a.m. to officially announce the opening.

Among the officials on hand for the event will be LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe, LSU Athletics Director Skip Bertman, Tiger Athletic Foundation CEO Maj. Gen. Ron Richard, and Dr. Baker.

Mike the Tiger Habitat Ribbon-Cutting Postponed BATON ROUGE -- The Mike the Tiger habitat ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Monday, Aug. 29, at 10:30 a.m. on the LSU campus has been postponed due to Hurricane Katrina, the University announced on Saturday.

No make-up date has been scheduled for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was to include LSU Chancellor Sean O’Keefe, LSU Athletics Director Skip Bertman, Tiger Athletic Foundation CEO Maj. Gen. Ron Richard, Dr. David Baker of the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine and fund-raising co-chairs Delaine Emmert and Bill Hulsey.

Courtesy: LSU Sports Information
No make-up date has been scheduled for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

That is very cool to have a tiger! I wish Auburn had a tiger in addition to our eagle! I wish Mike the Tiger much happiness in his new home...but I don't wish him and championships or wins over Auburn or SC!

Thanks; he has a really cool home where fans can visit him and enjoy seeing him in very natural surroundings (well... as natural as can be under the circumstances).

I really thought your eagle was super when we went to Jordan-Hare last year. That flight around the interior of the stadium is awesome!

they should let the tiger run around the stadium, but no where near the auburn bench of course, wouldn't want anyone hurt.

Yes, it is very cool when "Tiger" our eagle flies around the stadium. Does the tiger come to the games?

Geauxto, I tried to reply to your pm, but it says your message box is full...

Yes, he comes to every home game and the vet says he loves it. He always gives a genuine roar when our guy-in-a-tiger-suit (Aubie type?) approaches his cage in front of the student section. And when he roars, the crowd goes wild, especially the student section.

PS
I'll clean out that mailbox!

Thanks for cleaning out your mailbox! That is soooo cool with Mike the Tiger giving the roar when the tiger suited guy comes out. I would love to see that in person someday. I have heard that the LSU home football games are amazing. I will put that on my list of things I want to do in my lifetime!

All I know is Geaux,you better get out of the state of Louisiana because Katrina is gonna mess it up.