LSU isn’t my usual area of reporting, but when I saw this article from the Baton Rouge Advocate in my Twitter feed, I had to respond. Animals, and in particular big cats, are my main passion aside from sports. I’ve long had an affinity for LSU in large part because of Mike the Tiger. I believe the people signing this petition have good intentions. I agree with them that animals should not be used as entertainment. The use of live animals by circuses is inappropriate, and there are a lot of awful zoos that should be shut down. Trophy hunting makes me physically ill. However, I don’t see any upside to removing Mike VII from LSU.
Mike the Tiger Cannot Simply Be “Released”
Some of the comments quoted by the Advocate make it sound as though people think Mike could be taken to some kind of wildlife reserve and left there. There are many, many problems with this. The biggest is that Mike the Tiger was born in captivity. He does not know how to hunt for himself, and he hasn’t learned the social skills of an adolescent tiger. Cubs learn these skills from their mothers, and Mike wasn’t raised with his. In addition, poaching of tigers continues to be a huge issue worldwide. Some reserves and parks are safer than others, but since Mike never learned to avoid humans, the odds of him becoming a throw rug or folk medicine would be pretty high.
Yes, there are sanctuaries for retired circus and zoo animals- I’ll get to the problems with those later on.
Mike Is Very, Very Well Cared For At LSU
My interpretation of Tiger pose. pic.twitter.com/A0L3gvnEWK
— Mike VII (@MikeTheTiger) August 8, 2018
LSU has an excellent veterinary school, and by all accounts, Mike has wonderful, devoted caretakers. When Mike VI was diagnosed with cancer, he was actually treated at a human facility. It’s clear from his Twitter and Instagram feeds that Mike receives plenty of enrichment and has a large, beautiful enclosure. I probably sign a dozen online petitions each week asking run-down, underfunded zoos to send their elephants and/or big cats to a sanctuary where they have enough space and can be cared for appropriately, but I have no qualms whatsoever about the care or habitat of Mike the Tiger.
Mike Is Not Lonely and Does Not Appear Stressed
Unlike lions, who live in groups, tigers are solitary animals. (If Mike were a lion, keeping him alone would not be appropriate, and I would not be in favor of it). Male tigers assiduously avoid each other, except when seeking a female to mate with. I know it’s hard for social creatures like humans to understand, but Mike is not pining away for a playmate.
Vanquishing my boomer ball. Just a typical Monday. pic.twitter.com/piVWWC61DG
— Mike VII (@MikeTheTiger) June 25, 2018
Watching videos of Mike on youtube, I see a tiger who plays with his toys and lolls in his pool. Like his predecessor, he seems to have some curiosity about the humans on the other side of his glass, and even enjoy some interaction. What I didn’t find, even when looking for it, was the pacing or repetitive behavior typical of a bored or unhappy animal.
Would A Sanctuary Be An Improvement For Mike?
After 45 minutes looking through various cat sanctuaries’ Facebook pages, my answer is an emphatic NO. I saw some that looked like nice-enough places. Others did not have nearly enough space for their animals, and some had animals that looked underweight. I did not see a single one whose facility came anywhere close to the quality of Mike’s habitat at LSU. None mentioned having their own on-staff veterinarian. Very few had swimming areas available to their tigers at all times. (Tigers, despite being cats, enjoy swimming and ideally have constant access to a pool of some sort). Regulation of these types of facilities is scant, and inspections rare.
The nicer of these facilities would certainly represent a quality-of-life upgrade for a circus tiger, or a backyard “pet” tiger. Not for Mike the Tiger.
Tigers Have Bigger Problems
Wild tiger populations have been slowly increasing, but the species is still very vulnerable. Despite increased legal protection in several countries, tigers continue to be killed for their skins, and for various body parts to be used in folk medicine. Humans continue to encroach on their habitat, and kill them for eating livestock or pets. You can learn more about these issues and ways to help at panthera.org or National Geographic’s Big Cat Initiative.
Finally, if you’re more concerned about captive tigers, you’d be amazed at how many states allow people to own exotic animals with very little regulation. Find out what the laws in your state are, and if you think they’re insufficient, tell your legislators!
Geaux Tigers!
Main Photo Credit:
