Mike was a hybrid Bengal/Siberia so breeding was a nogo anyway. Most of those come from morons that want a pet tiger and quickly figure out they can't and thus end up in a sanctuary.
Even if breeding was possible, it wouldn't be enough to convince the ZS. While it could be argued that a beautiful cat would have an amazing home, it's primary purpose would still be as mascot and that is the hurdle.
Youre not following sweetheart. They are muts and misfits not bred for zoos but some dummy with too much money then abandoned. Like when you go to Petsmart on the weekend.
I'm following homiecajunslice. I get that Mike was not a pure exotic similar to most of those that come from breeders in it for the money. Even in that scenario, there are few of those breeders still operating and if LSU were to find one and then buy a cat, that breeder will get shut down right quick. So it's going to be near impossible to even find a mutt-cat.
Again, not breeders. The sanctuaries operate like any other animal shelter. They also suffer from same lack of funding which is what usually gets em shutdown. This is like talking to Red.
You said "most of those".....how the hell am I supposed to know to which entity you were referring? Sanctuaries? Breeders? Zoos? Sanctuaries, as I stated earlier, consider themselves the last stop for exotics. They don't breed, they don't transfer animals, they don't sell animals. And yes, they usually run out of money. Sketchy breeders produce or obtain animals for sale/profit but most have been shut down....this is the type place where the current Mike came from. Exotics that start this way, often end up in sanctuaries. Like talking to Red? Damn man.....that hurt.
Should stop assuming: LSU did not wish to buy a tiger but instead sought for one to be donated to the school. On July 27, 2007, WBRZ ABC News 2 announced that LSU had located a tiger at Great Cats of (Idaville) Indiana, an Indiana-based large cat and carnivore rescue facility.[8] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Tiger
We getting another Tiger Dammit! I would be pissed to know I donated my hard earned money for a facility we are not going to use.
