What) One of the largest and most advanced tiger enclosures is not in any zoo, but on a university campus. Mike the Tiger, the Louisiana State University mascot, lives across the street from the football stadium in a 15,000 square foot habitat complete with a waterfall, swimming pond, and lush foliage.
In 1934,
LSU students raised $750 to buy a tiger from the Little Rock
Zoo, which was named Mike after the then-Athletic Director
trainer Mike Chambers. After serving as the mascot for 20
years, Mike I retired and is now taxidermied and on display at
the LSU Museum of Natural Science. Another Mike was quickly
bought to replace the dead tiger, with officials announcing
that he was recovered and ready for mascotting. After the
death of the second Mike, Mike III reigned over many winning
years at LSU. Unique in that he was able to growl on cue to
startle the other teams (with the command “Get ‘em Mike”), he
died during the only losing season of his lifetime. Mike IV
was donated in 1976 and in 1981, the doors to his cage were
broken open by pranksters and the tiger was discovered roaming
at the track stadium on campus. Besides attacking a small
tree, he did little damage and was subdued with three
tranquilizers. The calm and friendly Mike V followed and
served until 2007, when he was replaced by Mike VI, the
current mascot. Before each football game, Mike is rolled in a
cage to outside the opponent’s locker room so that the
opposing players must pass by the tiger on their way to the
stadium. Mike then is paraded through Tiger Stadium while
cheerleaders celebrate atop his cage. (1)
Where) Probably somewhere around North Stadium Road but perhaps on Tower Drive, Louisiana State University
Why) Pam
loves tigers more than any other animal but she hates to see
animals in cages. It seemed to me that Mike's situation
might be good enough for Pam to risk a trip. I was right
in that Pam decided to go see Mike but ... 
... LSU does not allow cars on most of it's campus so the GPS could not help us get there. We were going to walk but finding parking on the morning of a school day was difficult and the campus was large so after asking for and receiving complicated directions, we decided not to go and see Mike. On the way back to the Jeep, we happened to walk by a great little store called the Smoothie King. While waiting for our order, I spied a campus paper that just happened to feature an article about Mike the Tiger and his mistreated cousin Tony. (Pam, you might want to click here if you feel uncomfortable reading this article.)
There are two renowned tigers in town. One is known for its size, health, beautiful habitat, and the university it represents: LSU's mascot, Mike VI. The other is Tony the Tiger, used to lure customers to the Tiger Truck Stop, located on the 1-10 West freeway. As you get closer to Grosse Tete, about ten miles west of Baton Rouge, the signs appear next to the road: "Live Tiger Exhibit," and "Tiger Truck Stop, Live Tiger."
Mike the Tiger is known for his friendly, content nature. He's forming relationships with his caretakers, and plays through the glass enclosure with the LSD security guard. Tony is also quite famous. He might even be more famous, in some circles, than Mike. Tony is known worldwide, and with more celebrities frequenting the region, such as animal lover and activist Alison Eastwood (Clint's daughter), the heat on Tiger Truck Stop has increased. Organizations such as Big Cat Rescue: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and Last Chance for Animals have all been fighting to remove Tony from the truck stop, and have earned him more than 20,000 supporters. Tony has multiple websites, a Facebook page, and even a Twitter feed - all run by people and organizations that want to get him out of the truck stop and into a sanctuary.
Mike VI struts around in a 15,000 square-foot exhibit with multiple natural substrates and a pond, complete with waterfall. He is visited frequently by a veterinarian and has several dedicated caretakers. His enclosure includes a glass viewing barrier that encourages a closer connection between the big cat and his visitors. The Tiger Truck Stop, in contrast, is located next to the freeway. The only roaring is from the traffic. Trucks are constantly pulling in, and the parking lot smells of diesel fumes. It seems there are always a couple of people standing in front of a pen, cameras flashing. This is Tony's home.
Perhaps these life improvements have always been in store for Tony, but it's more likely that they were facilitated, at least in part, by pressure from the US Department of Agriculture and various animal rights groups, both of whom have been after Sandlin for years. When asked if he had seen Mike's enclosure, Sandlin replied, "No, but if I win the Powerball (lottery), I'll give Tony some upgrades." He added that Tony's "pond" would be the next thing to be improved. "He's scared of it or something, and won't get in," said Sandlin. Others argue that Tony won't get in the pond because he can't. It's a metal bucket.
While nonprofits are trying to seize Tony, Mike VI was donated from a non-profit tiger sanctuary, Great Cats of Indiana. The battle over Tony dates back to around 2001 when Sandlin's father Wendell had all of his cats seized and taken to a sanctuary. In 2003, Michael had all but one (Tony), taken from him, also. The USDA has cited Sandlin for failure to clean his cages as often as necessary to maintain adequate sanitation, failure to maintain structurally sound cages for tigers, not meeting the number of adequately trained employees, and more.
...
What) Tony, who is the only tiger at the truck stop in Grosse Tete, LA, has lived there for 9 years. On December 14th, 2009, the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries granted the final permit Tony's owner needed to keep him at the truck stop. Although people from all over the world voiced their concern for Tony and his well-being, their pleas were ignored and unanswered. (2)
Where) I-10 At Highway 77 It appears to be north of the interstate on the east side. 1-225-648-2086
Why) This is the first time I have ever put an anti-Buckys onto the list.
