Tiger with extended paw

Our History

The mascot of the University of Missouri-Columbia is the Bengal tiger. While the tiger is the mascot of more than 60 colleges and universities, tigers are threatened with extinction in the wild. In recognition of this fact, MU created the Mizzou Tigers for Tigers conservation program.

The idea behind Mizzou Tigers for Tigers has its roots in an August, 1998, editorial piece in the Columbia Daily Tribune, written by Michael Baltz, then a PhD student in the division of biological sciences. In it, he suggested that MU could take the lead and become among the first colleges or universities nationwide to implement a program supporting conservation of their mascot. Soon after, Baltz and Dr. Mary Ratnaswamy, former assistant professor in Fisheries and Wildlife, began collaborating on Mizzou Tigers for Tigers.

Former Chancellor Richard Wallace recognized the importance of supporting the conservation of the Bengal tiger and encouraged University support of the fledgling idea. The program was officially announced February 11, 1999, at the 160th celebration of MU's founding. In June, 1999, Wallace formed a steering committee to help move the program into its next phase.

India

According to the World Wildlife Fund, MU's program is the first of its kind in the nation. Mizzou Tigers for Tigers can engage the University's mission to help save wild tigers and ensure that there will be wild tigers for as long as there are Missouri Tigers.

This second phase involved the birth of the Mizzou Tigers for Tigers student organization, and increased awareness of the unique program at the state, national & international level. Along with this increased awareness came benefits to students and tigers alike. Follow this link to read articles on the early formative years of the program. Follow this link to read Baltz & Ratnaswamys article published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin which describes the potential for the program.

In 2002, MT4T entered its third phase with the arrival of co-chair Matt Gompper in Columbia to oversee the programs growth, maturation and help it realize its conservation and activism goals. Gompper, a faculty member in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, came to us from Columbia University in New York where he and his students had built a reputation of excellence in the field of carnivore ecology and conservation. Gompper is working to enhance research on tigers by MU faculty & students, oversee the expansion of MT4T's education, outreach & fundraising programs, and to enhance new & existing links with other regional and global tiger conservation organizations.