# Do any sports teams have living, real animals as team “pets” or “mascots” or “ambassadors” or what have you? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 23, 2025, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414 "2025-08-23T16:54:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2025, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/41 "2025-08-23T23:24:29Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Similarly, the University of Connecticut has [Jonathan the Husky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_the_Husky) as its mascot. I just want to note that “the UConn Huskies” is one of my favorite bits of sports-related wordplay. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/42 "2025-08-23T23:42:30Z")
I’m embarrassed to admit that it took me a long time to recognize that wordplay. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2025, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/43 "2025-08-23T23:57:46Z")
[Old-time baseball teams](http://theculturecrush.com/feature/mascots) had human mascots, including "…a boy named Charlie Gallagher who was “said to have been born with teeth and is guaranteed to possess all the magic charms of a genuine mascot.” ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/44 "2025-08-24T00:27:44Z")
St. Louis City Soccer just displayed their new mascot. A British Yellow Labrador. I was looking for the name and it may be a Team Pet rather than a mascot. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/45 "2025-08-24T00:51:57Z")
Many teams also have a “team pet” that isn’t really a mascot (or at least isn’t the same animal as the team name). Arsenal Football Club have a dog named “Win” that is often in their media releases, for example. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/46 "2025-08-24T01:19:57Z")
Yes, this is the type of thing I was asking about in my OP. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/47 "2025-08-24T01:20:44Z")
His name is Petey, he’s a team pet. It’s in my OP. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/48 "2025-08-24T02:24:25Z")
Well, TIL that. Huh. And it still took me about a minute to figure it out, knowing it was wordplay. Yukon. Got it. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/49 "2025-08-24T14:08:28Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I’m not talking about a team known as “The Eagles” with a guy in an eagle suit. I mean they also have a living, breathing eagle, too. Funny you should mention “The Eagles” with a living breathing eagle as your first example, because yes, actually. > **[Lincoln the Bald Eagle Is the Lucky Flier Who Gets a Bird's-Eye View to Every...](https://people.com/lincoln-the-bald-eagle-flies-for-philadelphia-eagles-home-games-8782748)** > > A 27-year-old bald eagle named Lincoln has become a fan favorite at Philadelphia Eagles home games. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/50 "2025-08-24T18:33:57Z")
FSU has Chief Osceola (human) riding Renegade (Appaloosa horse). They are never referred to as mascots, but as symbols of the University. The portrayal has the support of the Seminole Tribe of Florida who designs and approves the costume of Osceola. There is a human in a horse costume (Cimarron) at other games who is referred to as a mascot. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/51 "2025-08-24T22:19:10Z")
The CFL’s (Canadian Football League) Calgary fans. It’s been a Grey Cup (championship game) tradition since 1948 for them to ride (or more often attempt to ride) a horse through a prominent hotel lobby in the host city. In more recent years, the practice has been tolerated, with the hotel lobby being well prepared for any “accidents”. [Why Calgarians ride a horse through a hotel lobby for the Grey Cup](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78nkeMcJFN4) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/52 "2025-08-24T23:46:31Z")
St. Bernard [Schottzie](https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Schottzie) was a de facto mascot for the Cincinnati Reds, due to belonging to owner [Marge Schott.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marge_Schott) Official team photos from that era always had Schottzie at front & center. [![](https://www.cincinnati.com/gcdn/-mm-/e627d085fe2a62166cc2350f5c91c4d153ddc4e8/c=0-42-730-454/local/-/media/Cincinnati/Cincinnati/2014/03/04//1393943121000-AB-20100328-SPT04-3280807-1.jpg) ](https://www.cincinnati.com/gcdn/-mm-/e627d085fe2a62166cc2350f5c91c4d153ddc4e8/c=0-42-730-454/local/-/media/Cincinnati/Cincinnati/2014/03/04//1393943121000-AB-20100328-SPT04-3280807-1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/53 "2025-08-25T06:17:13Z")
CU Boulder (Coach Prime these days) has Ralphie, a real life buffalo, Ralphie sometimes goes rouge and his handlers can’t really keep him on the straight and narrow. [Ralphie - University of Colorado Athletics](https://cubuffs.com/sports/2016/6/15/Ralphie) Youtube: [Ralphie the Buffalo Run Colorado vs USC- November 11, 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMtJ50mqDUA) ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/54 "2025-08-25T09:11:34Z")
There is Cologne’s football club, the **[1. FC Köln](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1._FC_K%25C3%25B6ln)**, who have a living mascot as requested by the OP: > The club is nicknamed _Die Geißböcke_ (The [Billy Goats](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat)) in reference to its [mascot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mascot), a male goat named _Hennes_ after veteran Köln player and manager [Hennes Weisweiler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hennes_Weisweiler). The first _Hennes_ was donated by a circus entrepreneur as a [Cologne carnival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_carnival) joke. The current mascot is _Hennes_ IX as of 1 August 2019 after Hennes VIII was retired by the club due to old age. [![](https://images.mgpd.de/img/105998777/crop/c16_9-w2000/1114629204/1074570246/1-fc-koeln-fc-schalke-04.webp) ](https://images.mgpd.de/img/105998777/crop/c16_9-w2000/1114629204/1074570246/1-fc-koeln-fc-schalke-04.webp) Lazio Roma, another football club, used to have an eagle as mascot until january this year, but then the falconer behaved stupidly. Not for the first time: > **[Handler of Lazio eagle mascot sacked for posting photos online of prosthetic...](https://news.sky.com/story/handler-of-lazio-eagle-mascot-sacked-for-posting-photos-online-of-prosthetic-penis-after-choosing-to-have-implant-13289287)** > > The eagle mascot will be absent from the football club's stadium in Rome after handler Juan Bernabe was sacked. Curious that the handler of an eagle is called falconer. Benfica Lisbon also has an eagle, called Águia Vitória. Here is a **[YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_JWNx_P6XE&embeds_referring_euri=https%253A%252F%252Felcincocero.com%252F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ)**, under one and a half minutes. Legend has it that if the eagle flies two rounds around the stadium before the match, Benfica wins, but if it only flies one, Benfica loses. I think it should be easy to check whether that legend holds true. Eintracht Frankfurt has another eagle called Attila since 2006. [![](https://images.mgpd.de/img/105998779/crop/c16_9-w2000/1889662135/1599012574/eintracht-frankfurt-holstein-kiel.webp) ](https://images.mgpd.de/img/105998779/crop/c16_9-w2000/1889662135/1599012574/eintracht-frankfurt-holstein-kiel.webp) ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/55 "2025-08-25T10:50:00Z")
I remember visiting Vilas Zoo in the 70s and they had a badger on display and there was a sign proclaiming him (or possibly her) to be Bucky Badger. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/56 "2025-08-25T11:42:20Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > CU Boulder (Coach Prime these days) has Ralphie, a real life buffalo [Ahem](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/13) ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/57 "2025-08-25T11:48:19Z")
The University of Colorado actually has a buffalo as a mascot. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/58 "2025-08-25T12:18:03Z")
DId you by any chance click on @Railer13 's link? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/59 "2025-08-25T12:32:45Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > The University of Colorado actually has a buffalo as a mascot Really? ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414/60 "2025-08-25T12:35:40Z")
Well, I saw 3 or 4 people running onto the field with a Buffalo leading their team. I could have been hallucinating, but a check via the Internet confirms that they do have one, in fact: > _ **Yes, at least one major college team has a buffalo as a mascot: the University of Colorado Buffaloes, whose live mascot is a bison named Ralphie. The team officially adopted buffaloes as their mascot in 1934, and the tradition of a live buffalo running onto the field during football games began in 1966.** _ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-sports-teams-have-living-real-animals-as-team-pets-or-mascots-or-ambassadors-or-what-have-you/1022414.md?page=4)