To learn more about Mike the Tiger, visit his Ä¢¹½tv Mike the Tiger's Website.
Mike the Tiger: A Roaring History
Mike the First is the original mascot of Ä¢¹½tv and he ruled the campus for over 20 years. This is also the legendary Mike who was kidnapped before a football game, cage and all, by Tulane and was returned just before the game with a newly painted green cage. Mike got the last laugh, however, when the highly favored Tulane team barely managed a 14-14 tie with Ä¢¹½tv.
Mike lived well beyond the average life span of a Bengal Tiger: he died on June 29, 1956, it was declared “Black Fridayâ€� on the Ä¢¹½tv Campus. After Mike the First, Ä¢¹½tv has had six more Mikes. You can visit Mike VII in his habitat at Ä¢¹½tv, by the Stadium.
The Bengal tiger has been the official mascot of Ä¢¹½tv since 1936. But, how did the Bengal tiger become Ä¢¹½tv’s mascot? Do you want to know more about all the six Mikes? How is the wild Bengal tiger population these days? Come to visit this exhibit to find out.
Short Facts
- Tigers are the largest of all cats.
- Cats are meat-eaters (carnivores), even your housecat.
- Tigers usually rest during the day and hunt at night when it is cooler.
- They usually hunt alone and may only eat once every few days.
- There are 7 types of wild tigers: Siberian, Caspian, Bengal, Sumatran, Javan, Chinese, and Corbett’s.
- More than 60 years ago in India there were 40,000 Bengal Tigers in the wild, now there are less than 3,300. They live mostly in Asia.
- Tigers are not fast runners, they use their stripes to hide and sneak up on their prey. They are, however, avid swimmers.
- Each tiger has distinctive striping patterns and two tigers can be told apart by the markings on their heads.
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Teacher's Corner
Ask your children or students questions such as:
- Where in the world do tigers live?
- What do they eat?
- How can you recognize one tiger from another?
- Why might this be important (for other tigers and for us!)?
