BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — If Mike the Tiger does not make it into Tiger Stadium for the football home opener against Vanderbilt on Saturday, LSU officials say fans should not be alarmed.
LSU School of Veterinary Medicine student handlers have worked with Mike VI, LSU’s live mascot, throughout the summer to encourage him to get into his trailer for LSU Tigers home games.
However, being a young adult male tiger, officials say he does not always comply, and because of this, may not attend all home games this season.
“We know how important it is to the fans that he be in the stadium,” David Baker, LSU’s attending veterinarian to Mike VI in a prepared statement.
“But we can’t force him to do so, and we absolutely would never do that even if we could,” Baker added. “Mike’s safety and well-being are most important to us, and we know that these are important to the fans as well.’
Mike VI arrived at LSU in August 2007 as a 2-year-old. But besides growing, he also has matured, become more cautious and less inquisitive. Baker said that this is a sign of normal tiger development.
“If Mike VI does not attend the pre-game festivities, it is important for fans to know that this does not mean that something is wrong,” Baker said. “Mike VI is a healthy, normal tiger.”
 
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