After nine years as the University’s mascot, Mike VI passed away as a result of his battle with cancer. The beloved Tiger’s death which sparked an outpouring of emotion from students, faculty and community members came after a tumultuous summer and major changes to the LSU football team’s leadership.
The student body’s reaction to Mike’s passing was one of love and appreciation, with many adorning the habitat with drawings and flowers. The day after his death, Student Government held a memorial service in honor of Mike VI. The football team also honored Mike VI by wearing special stickers on their helmets during a victory over Southern Miss.
But LSU isn’t the only university that has endured the grief of losing a mascot. In October of last year, the University of Texas lost Bevo, its live longhorn steer mascot, under similar circumstances.
According to a UT press release, “Bevo XIV began his tenure at the age of two in 2004, and was on the sidelines for many historic moments. Bevo XIV was a part of back-to-back Rose Bowl victories, including the January 2006 win that resulted in the most recent Longhorns’ BCS Football National Championship.”
Bevo XIV passed away from a terminal illness called Bovine Leukemia Virus. Shortly after Mike’s diagnosis back in May, he received a bouquet of flowers from Bevo.
“Our students were very saddened about his passing and also very supportive,” said Ricky Brennes, executive director of the Silver Spur Alumni Association in an email. “The students here at Texas were great to us and really helped support us as we searched for Bevo XV. For the student athletes on the football team, they seemed to rally around the loss of the University’s mascot. The two best games the team played were the game he was sick and the game immediately after his passing. The starting QB said in the post game press conference that they won for Bevo.”
Despite the universities’ apparent love for the live mascots, their treatment of the animals did not come without criticism.
Back in 2007, then-LSU Chancellor Sean O’Keefe responded to a letter from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals in which they urged the University not to find a replacement for Mike V.
In the letter, O’Keefe stated that “LSU stands behind its treatment of its tigers. Their habitat and lifestyle are constantly monitored to ensure their well being, and they receive state-of-the-art veterinary medical care from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, which can improve and extend the life of a big cat.”
Shortly after Mike VI’s death, PETA again urged the University “to honor Mike VI’s legacy by making him the last live mascot to be locked up in captivity and paraded around in an unruly stadium.” They claimed that “sensitive, intelligent tigers have been reduced to game-day props for decades.”
UT has tremendous respect for the University’s Mike the Tiger tradition, Brennes said.
“The care he receives from the veterinary school and the love LSU fans have for Mike are both tremendous,” Brennes said.