University faculty hope to have fans roaring this summer, as a project to build two Mike the Tiger-themed educational exhibits nears completion.
The exhibits, which will cost about $178,000, will be located at the LSU Museum of Natural Science in Murphy J. Foster Hall and at Alex Box Stadium, according to David Senior, associate dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Senior said the exhibits are projected to open by June.
Sophie Warny, assistant professor of palynology and LSUMNS curator of education, said each station will include a variety of educational information and interactive material for visitors.
Warny said each will have a series of “flip panels” with questions about animal conservation, a replica of a tiger skull, a pugmark of a tiger’s paw print and recordings of the sounds a tiger can make.
“The vision for the exhibit content is to develop interactive displays following a three-tiered plan,” Warny said.
Warny said Mike the Tiger will be used as an attraction aspect for visitors to the University, but the exhibits’ content will focus on the tiger as an endangered species as well as other at-risk plant and animal species and will provide information about broader conservation issues of regional interest.
Warny said the only difference between the two exhibits is the mascot display. In the museum, the real Mike I will remain on display with a new, enhanced casing. At the baseball stadium, a statue will be substituted. The design and content will be identical, she said.
“This is exciting. It enables us to use the power of Mike the Tiger,” Senior said. “The passion associated with the animal is extraordinary, and we can use that leverage to educate people about tigers.”
Warny said the exhibits will impact a number of people, as the museum draws in about 12,000 guests per year and the stadium attracts even more.
“It’s also a great chance for us to partner with [LSU] Athletics,” Warny said. “As far as I know, this is one of the first times we have worked together.”
Warny said the project is a collaboration between LSUMNS, the Athletic Department and the Department of Veterinary Medicine Clinical Services.
The project is the result of a grant presented to the Audubon Nature Institute in 2004 that listed the University as an agent, Senior explained. He said the funding was from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“The initial project was quite large,” he said. “It was designed to put a tiger information annex next to the Mike the Tiger habitat where a gift shop has been built.”
Senior said the Tiger Athletic Foundation originally wanted to put an “education element” next to Mike’s current home. The projected cost was $223,672.
Warny said space did not permit the annex. Senior said the project was transferred, and he became the grant administrator.
The project’s design and implementation is currently under development with Southwest Museum Services of Houston, he said.
 
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Contact Sydni Dunn at [email protected]