Mike the Tiger, the real-life Siberian-Bengal mascot of the LSU Tigers, can often be found prowling between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La. He also likes to get a little silly sometimes.
In a video shared March 2 by former college basketball coach Lance Loya that has now gone viral (with nearly 4 million views on Facebook as of Saturday), the big cat can be seen splashing his paws in the water of his habitat in front of a wall of glass where visitors can check in on him. One visitor in particular, a small boy, was obviously getting a kick out of Mike’s antics.
“Was on LSU’s campus recently and caught this young fan’s interaction with LSU’s tiger mascot, ‘Mike,’” said Loya. “Can’t decide if it’s more of a statement on the boy’s fearlessness or his parents’ confidence in the enclosure's design.”
Indeed, that thin sheet of glass did separate the toddler from extremely powerful paws. According to BBC Science Focus, the strength of a paw could kill a human being instantly.
According to the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation, former LSU Athletic Department trainer Chellis “Mike” Chambers came up with the idea to buy a real tiger in 1934. He got a group together to raise $750 and the tiger arrived in 1936. That first Tiger, known as Mike I, traveled with LSU teams and served as the school’s mascot until his kidney disease-associated death in 1956.
Since then, the school has welcomed several new “Mike” tigers to follow in his footsteps. In 2005, a $3.7 million 15,000-square foot environment was created as the new home for Mike V. In 2017, Mike VII – the current mascot – was donated to the school from the Wild at Heart Wildlife Center in Florida.
Loya said in a blog post that he caught the interaction between the tiger and the toddler last month. He said that he was struck how fearless the boy was.
“I thought the interaction to be a unique Calvin and Hobbs-like exchange between a cute, innocent child and a curious tiger,” the coach explained. “I only took the video to show my wife what I had witnessed.”
He also said the experience of going viral has taught him new things about being a good teammate.