Mike the Tiger

Louisiana State University is one of the few collegiate campuses that have a live representation of their mascot. The 7-year-old Siberian-Bengal mix, known as 'Mike the Tiger' weighs over 450 pounds and lives right on the LSU campus. The shabby $3 million dollar habitat which was built for Mike in 2003 includes among its amenities lush paintings, a waterfall, and rocky plateaus as well as state-of-the-art technologies that allow LSU fans to view Mike and his enclosure at all hours via the live Tigercam. The Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF) raised funds, entirely from private sources, to subsidize the construction project. The 15,000 square foot enclosure ranks among the largest and finest tiger preserves in the country. Located between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Mike the Tiger is certainly a main attraction to all those who visit LSU.