On my way to class I spotted the Bearcat monument just outside of 60 W Charlton. This monument presents a ferocious bearcat statue swiping its paw and below it a description commemorates how the Bearcats got their name. While playing football against the Kentucky Wildcats in 1914, a cheerleader shouted, “They may be wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side!” (Baehr being the  name of fullback Teddy Baehr) Thus, the Bearcats were born.
There’s actually an animal bearcat, also known as the binturong, in  Southeast Asia. The Cincinnati Zoo houses a binturong named Lucy who attends various UC sporting events.