LSU's live tiger mascot in hospice care, out of yard

LSU's live tiger mascot in hospice care, out of yard

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:36 p.m. ET

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Officials say Louisiana State University's live tiger mascot has been transferred to hospice care and will no longer be out in the yard of his campus habitat.

Multiple news outlets report Mike VI's handlers said Monday that the 11-year-old tiger's health has declined enough that he won't be outside anymore.

Mike VI was diagnosed in May with a rare and inoperable form of cancer. At the time, veterinarians said treating its spindle cell sarcoma with radiation therapy could extend the tiger's life by one or two more years.

However, last week, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine announced that a CT scan and physical exam showed a tumor in the tiger's skull had grown and his cancer had spread, giving him only one or two months left to live.

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