BATON ROUGE (WGNO) – LSU’s live tiger mascot, Mike VI, passed away Tuesday.
Mike VI was born on July 23, 2005, and adopted by LSU in 2007. He was 11 years old at the time of his passing.
Mike was humanely euthanized in his night house by LSU’s Attending Veterinarian Dr. David Baker.
He was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma in May 2016 and underwent stereotactic radiotherapy on June 1, 2016, at Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer.
He entered hospice care in his night house on Oct. 10, 2016, so that his caretakers could observe him to ensure that he did not suffer.
There will not be a formal memorial service for Mike VI, but fans are encouraged to share their memories, stories and photos on social media using #MikeVI.
LSU has begun the search for a young, male tiger. As with Mikes IV, V and VI, LSU will seek to obtain a donated tiger from a rescue facility.