After battling cancer for four months, LSU's beloved mascot Mike VI passed away Tuesday.
BATON ROUGE – LSU’s live tiger mascot, Mike VI, passed away today, Oct. 11. Mike VI was born on July 23, 2005 and adopted by LSU in 2007. He was 11 years old at the time of his passing.
Mike was humanely euthanized in his night house by LSU’s Attending Veterinarian David Baker, DVM, Ph.D. He was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma in May 2016 and underwent stereotactic radiotherapy on June 1, 2016, at Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. He entered hospice care in his night house on Oct. 10, 2016, so that his caretakers could observe him to ensure that he did not suffer.
Rest in peace, #MikeVIhttps://t.co/JL9stSeHiQ pic.twitter.com/ddPSXZAwea
— LSU (@lsu) October 11, 2016
RELATED: Mike VI's cancer spreads | Photo gallery
There will not be a formal memorial service for Mike VI, but fans are encouraged to share their memories, stories and photos on social media using #MikeVI.
LSU has begun the search for a young, male tiger. As with Mikes IV, V and VI, LSU will seek to obtain a donated tiger from a rescue facility.
For more information on Mike’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, please go to www.lsu.edu/miketiger/news.php or visit his social media pages (facebook.com/MikeTigerVI and @MikeTigerVI).
