WildEarth Guardians

Thursday, March 24, 2011
March Madness Mascots in Danger of Disappearing?

23 teams in the NCAA tournament are represented by endangered animals
Contact: Taylor Jones 303-573-4898 x1159

Denver, CO-March 16. March Madness is under way, and 23 of the teams that made the tournament are represented by animal mascots that may be in danger of extinction in the wild. WildEarth Guardians urges March Madness announcers and fans to reflect on the diversity in nature that helps to provide symbolic value and variety to the sportsworld.

“These animals are not only important to ecosystems and biodiversity; they are important for their symbolic value,” said Taylor Jones, Endangered Species Advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “They all embody virtues that our NCAA teams draw on for strength and fighting spirit. If these animals are lost to extinction, then all the teams and their fans will lose.”

Four teams—Clemson, Princeton, Memphis, and Missouri—are represented by the tiger. Though this powerful mammal inspires many, three of nine tiger subspecies have gone extinct in the past 70 years. There may be as few as 3,200 tigers remaining in the wild, and wildlife experts fear that wild tigers may become extinct in as little as 12 years.

Four teams—Villanova, Kentucky, Arizona, and KSU—call themselves the Wildcats, giving them a choice of several species imperiled in the US: ocelots and jaguarundis, both listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and Canada lynx, listed under the ESA in portions of the US. The fighting spirit of wildcats may lead these teams to victory, but can it protect the cats themselves?

Three teams have chosen the multi-talented and multi-named mountain lion: the BYU Cougars, the Pittsburgh Panthers, and the Penn State Nittany Lions. The endangered Florida panther is a mountain lion subspecies that has dwindled to approximately 100 animals, and mountain lions across the US must contend with hunting pressure and habitat loss.

The Michigan Wolverines may hope to tap into the endurance and tenacity of their mascot, currently a candidate awaiting listing under the ESA. This secretive mammal lives at high altitudes and depends on deep snowpack, and is threatened by global warming and habitat loss. 

Cincinnati goes global with the bearcat as a mascot. The bearcat, also known as the binturong, is a burly omnivore native to Asia and considered vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

If the Florida Gators lose, they can hope to make as successful a comeback as their namesakes. The American alligator’s population crashed and it was considered endangered even before the Endangered Species Act was instituted in 1973. The population has increased thanks to protection under the Act, but alligators are still protected in the states where they occur.

The strength of the grizzly bear, while fueling the Oakland Grizzlies, is waning in the lower 48. Grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 are listed as threatened under the ESA. They have shrunk from an estimated 500,000 wild grizzlies in the 1800s to between 1,200 and 1,400 wild individuals. Other bears around the world, representing the N. Colorado Bears, Belmont Bruins, and UCLA Bruins, are also facing difficulties. The giant panda is listed as endangered by the IUCN, while the sun bear, Asiatic black bear, sloth bear, Andean bear, and polar bear are all listed as vulnerable.

Bison once had the widest range of any North American herbivore, but now occupy less than 1 percent of their historic range. The Bucknell Bison can only hope they fare better than their namesake in next year’s tournament. The Temple Owls were cheered on by the Northern spotted owl and the Mexican spotted owl, both listed as threatened under the ESA. Representing invertebrates are the Richmond Spiders. In the US, there are 4 endangered spiders and 11 spiders considered species of concern by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The VCU Rams will do well if they have the agility and fearlessness of their mountain relatives, the bighorn sheep. Bighorn sheep are a species of concern and two subspecies are listed as endangered.

WildEarth Guardians works to protect endangered species through public education, administrative action, federal and state litigation, economic incentives, and legislative advocacy. Animals enrich our lives in many ways, symbolic and otherwise. Our work to save endangered species will ensure that future sports teams have as diverse a choice of mascots as the NCAA teams enjoy today.