History graduate student Tim Landry, 57, passes Mike the Tiger and his 15,000 square foot habitat every day.
His daily admiration of the mascot led him to question what happens to Mike after he passes away.
Landry, a Student Government senator, authored a bill to urge appropriate departments to bury or entomb deceased tiger mascots at a publicly accessible spot on campus.
The resolution SG senate will vote on April 1 only urges the Vet School, the administration and the athletic department to begin to implement Landry’s plan, but he said his bill hopefully will begin a discussion as the project would need to be privately funded.
LSU School of Veterinary Medicine public relations director Ginger Guttner gave the whereabouts of past tiger mascots.
Mike I’s pelt is mounted at the Louisiana Museum of Natural History.
The first Mike II is buried on the levee along the Mississippi River, and the second Mike II’s remains were disposed of.
The whereabouts of the remains of Mike III are unknown, and Mike IV and Mike V’s ashes are in the Jack and Priscilla Andonie Museum.
Landry said he doesn’t think the location of past Mikes’ remains are publicized enough and thinks Mikes deserve to be more ceremoniously honored.
“Who gave the most to the bacon and egg breakfast? Was it the chicken or the pig? The answer was the pig. They said the chicken made a donation with the egg, but the pig made a total commitment,” Landry said. “Our Mike mascots make a total commitment and literally give their lives to service the University, so I certainly think that they should be honored when they pass.”
Noting other Southeastern Conference schools’ live mascots, Landry investigated their precedent of honoring deceased mascots.
Landry said the University of Georgia buries deceased bulldog mascots near the main gate of Sanford Stadium in a memorial plot with personalized bronze epitaphs.
Texas A&M has a graveyard for their Rough Collie mascots within site of Kyle Field’s scoreboard. Landry said because of expansions of the field, the past mascots couldn’t “see” the scoreboard, so the University built a special scoreboard in sight of the Collies and their memorial.
Landry wants to see Mike honored in a similar way.
Landry said, due to Mike’s size, a version of the UGA and Texas A&M memorials with cremated remains would be ideal.
“What I envision is cremating them and interring their ashes, if not in a mausoleum, say maybe some place, a wall in Tiger Stadium, or out by where those memorial plaques to previous football teams,” Landry said.
Mike is a part of every University student’s life, Landry said, and he ought to be honored as such.
“What bigger part of LSU tradition and pride and memory is there than Mike the Tiger, our live mascot?” Landry said. “We honor him in life, and I fervently believe that we should honor him in death.”