With the passing of TOM II, The University of Memphis family experienced a heartfelt loss. But with every end comes a new beginning.
Fans will have their first chance to see TOM III, the newest member of the Tiger sideline, during a special ceremony at the upcoming football game against the University of Central Florida Knights on Saturday, at 1 p.m.
Less than four weeks since his secret arrival, the Bengal cub has a family and a following who say they love him to pieces.
"You should see him with his football," said Tiger Guard Chairman Scott Forman of the 12-week-old, 24-lb tiger. "His mouth isn't big enough to really chew on it yet, so he chases it all over the place. And he's growing so fast."
Affectionate and playful, the tiger is everything Forman said he looked for in finding a new TOM representative.
"He's very laid back and has adapted really well to his new environment," he said. "At this point, we're just spending a lot of time babying him. We play, we eat, we take a nap - we do whatever he wants to do so that the bond will be there for his entire life. We want little TOM to know he's safe and very loved."
The Bengal baby arrived in Memphis just eight days after the passing of long-time mascot TOM II. Forman said the group had a stroke of luck in finding the young tiger.
After learning of TOM II's death through national media coverage, Jeff Kozlowski and Jenny Meyer, founders of Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue and Educational Center, contacted the Tiger Guard about three young cubs they'd recently acquired from an unexpected pregnancy.
Former chairman Bobby Wharton and Forman spoke with Kozlowski and Meyer several times before flying to Wisconsin to tour the facility and meet their new TOM III.
But first, they did their homework.
"Proper USDA-licensing and a good reputation were first and foremost in our minds about finding a suitable replacement," Forman said. "Luckily, we received a glowing response."
The Tiger Guard group met the animals and the owners, including TOM III's parents and two brothers. "Meeting the parents" is critical, Forman said, to measuring the size and personality of the cub.
TOM III is already expected to far outweigh his predecessors, reaching somewhere between 600 and 650 pounds in the next five years.
Saturday's game will be the only appearance for TOM this season. Wharton said that by fall 2009, the tiger will weigh well over 200 pounds.
"If you want to see a baby tiger, you better come to the game Saturday," Wharton said, laughing. "They grow up so fast. TOM will be a proud part of this university for years to come."
Wharton, who stepped down as chairman following the death of TOM II, said he'll be there to assist Forman in any way he can.
"I'm almost 56 now," Wharton said. "I was 37 when we got TOM II - this next tiger might out live me. I'm so thankful Scott's here to step in. His heart's in the right place here. There's no exploitation of the animal. He lives a life most people would love to have."
Recently, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to U of M President Shirley Raines urging her not to acquire another live tiger, citing a University of Oxford study that shows big cats have a difficult time in captivity.
PETA's Lisa Wathne, a captive exotic animals specialist, told The Daily Helmsman the best tribute The University could give to TOM II is to not allow another tiger to spend its life in captivity.
PETA asked several schools still using exotic animals as mascots to send them to an accredited sanctuary, and said The U of M forces the tiger to "endure stressful transport for every appearance that he is forced to make."
In response to these remarks, Wharton and Forman shake their heads in disbelief.
"The people saying these things about us don't know what our facilities are like," Forman said. "They haven't seen the kind of love and devotion that comes with the 20 year commitment we make to our programs. These tigers are our babies, and we treat them as such."
TOM III is kept in a state-of-the-art home in DeSoto County, modeled after the original TOM habitat at St. Nick's Farm and Zoological Park in Collierville. Fully licensed through the USDA, Forman said the habitat is just like any other tiger sanctuary, but unique in that it caters to only one animal.
An exhibit to honor previous and future TOMs is still being planned for the new Athletic Hall of Fame at the corner of Spottswood and Normal.
