A university kept a tiger alive on campus for eighty-seven years
From Animal Attacks · 17:43
Show by OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT
A university kept a Bengal tiger on campus for eighty-seven years as a living symbol - and the animal’s private name refused to go away.A university kept a tiger alive on campus for eighty-seven yearsIn this episode, we follow how Louisiana State University bought a Bengal tiger in 1936 and turned it into a living emblem, tracking the names, paperwork, and choices that shaped nearly nine decades of mascot life. What happens when the institution’s need for continuity clashes with the animal who remembers a different name?Person: Sheik (original name)Person: Mike (official name used by university)Date: 1936 (purchase year)Location: Louisiana State University, Baton RougeEvent: Tiger kept on campus and later mounted in LSU Museum of Natural Science- Students raised $750 in 1936 by collecting quarters to buy a Bengal tiger from the Little Rock Zoo.- The tiger arrived named Sheik, a private name handlers continued to use even after official paperwork renamed him Mike.- The university publicly presented successive tigers as a continuous line (Mike I, Mike II, Mike III), prioritizing institutional continuity.- Contemporary reporting and later research suggest Mike II may have been two different animals quietly substituted within months.- Mike I’s body was taxidermied and displayed at the LSU Museum of Natural Science with a placard that reads Mike.Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317493© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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