| Udo the Red Panda | |
|---|---|
 The University of Mannheim's mascot Udo | |
| University | University of Mannheim |
| Conference | WHU Euromasters |
| Description | Anthropomorphic red panda |
| First seen | 2011 |
Udo the Red Panda is the costumed mascot of the University of Mannheim's athletics teams. He represents an anthropomorphic version of a red panda (or red cat-bear).
The Udo the Red Panda mascot officially debuted at the 2011 WHU Euromasters, when Mannheim beat LMU during the championships. Since then, the mascot has been a fan favorite for Mannheim's athletics fans. As the Mannheim athletics teams do not have a logo on their helmets or uniforms, Udo's likeness appears on much team merchandise and such. [1] [2]
The red panda (Latin: Ailurus fulgens), also known as lesser panda or red cat-bear, is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China that has been classified as Vulnerable by IUCN as its wild population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals. The population continues to decline and is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression, although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries. The Mannheim sports teams have elected the red panda for their favorite athletics mascot to make the problem of the declining population of this mammal more visible; in addition, the red panda is one of the visitor magnets at the Heidelberg Zoo which is the next larger zoo to Mannheim. [3]
The giant panda, sometimes called a panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes used to distinguish it from the red panda, a neighboring musteloid. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the giant panda is a folivore, with bamboo shoots and leaves making up more than 99% of its diet. Giant pandas in the wild occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food.
The red panda, also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle and a ringed tail. Its head-to-body length is 51–63.5 cm (20.1–25.0 in) with a 28–48.5 cm (11.0–19.1 in) tail, and it weighs between 3.2 and 15 kg. It is well adapted to climbing due to its flexible joints and curved semi-retractile claws.
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fictional, representative spokespeople for consumer products.
The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution and does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to "provide engaging experiences with animals and create and share knowledge to save wildlife and habitats".
The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, housing 4,000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies on 100 acres (40 ha) of Balboa Park leased from the City of San Diego. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a private nonprofit conservation organization, and has one of the largest zoological membership associations in the world, with more than 250,000 member households and 130,000 child memberships, representing more than a half million people.
Lincoln Park Zoo, also known as Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens, is a 35-acre (14 ha) zoo in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The zoo was founded in 1868, making it the fourth oldest zoo in North America. It is also one of a few free admission zoos in all of North America. The zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The zoo also became an accredited arboretum in 2019.
The Berlin Zoological Garden is the oldest surviving and best-known zoo in Germany. Opened in 1844, it covers 35 hectares and is located in Berlin's Tiergarten. With about 1,380 different species and over 20,200 animals, the zoo presents one of the most comprehensive collections of species in the world.
Edinburgh Zoo, formerly the Scottish National Zoological Park, is an 82-acre (33 ha) non-profit zoological park in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh, Scotland.
The National Zoo is a zoo in Malaysia located on 110 acres (45 ha) of land in Ulu Klang, Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia. It was officially opened on November 14, 1963 by the country's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. The zoo is managed by a non-governmental organization known as the Malaysian Zoological Society and is home to 5,137 animals of 476 different species. It received MS ISO 9001:2008 certification in July, 2007, and is a member of the South East Asian Zoos Association (SEAZA). The president and chairman of the zoo is Y. Bhg. Dato' Ismail Hutson.
The Highland Wildlife Park is a 105-hectare (260-acre) safari park and zoo near Kingussie, Highland, Scotland. The park is located within the Cairngorms National Park. The park is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
Wally the Green Monster is the official mascot for the Boston Red Sox. His name is derived from the Green Monster, the nickname of the 37-foot 2-inch wall in left field at Fenway Park. Wally debuted on April 13, 1997. Although he was an immediate success with children, he was not as well-received by older fans. Wally has since become more accepted by Red Sox fans of all ages, in part due to the late fan-favorite Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy creating stories about him and sharing them during televised games.
Wolong National Nature Reserve, also officially known as Wolong Special Administrative Region, is a protected area located in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
Shanghai Zoological Park, or commonly Shanghai Zoo in short, is the main zoological garden in Shanghai. It is located near the township of Hongqiao and is administratively in Changning District. Shanghai Zoo was formerly known as " Xijiao Park", which is still a common name used locally for the zoo.
Paradise Wildlife Park is a family-run wildlife park and charity located in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England. Previously known as Broxbourne Zoo, it was renamed Paradise Wildlife Park after it came under the management of Peter & Grace Sampson family in 1984. In 2017, their daughter Lynn Whitnall became CEO and continued the family business. They became Zoological Society of Hertfordshire (ZSH) in 2017, a registered charity (no.1108609) that works alongside Paradise Wildlife Park. The zoo receives no government funding. Since 2017, it has been named Hertfordshire's best outdoor attraction by TripAdvisor.
A red panda is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
Touchdown, or the Big Red Bear, is the unofficial mascot of Cornell University. The first mascot was a black bear introduced in 1915 by the Cornell University Athletic Association. Three more live bears over the course of approximately two decades also made appearances at Cornell until the live bear was replaced by costumed students some years later. Touchdown appears on the logo for Cornell Athletics, and is represented in a statue erected outside Teagle Hall in 2015.
As of 2019, there are 27 zoos in 21 countries outside of mainland China, that have giant pandas. These zoos have contracts with China to house these pandas for a few years. The two exceptions are the three pandas held at Taipei Zoo, which are owned by the Taiwanese government, and one panda held in Mexico. Giant pandas are on the IUCN Red List so part of the reason these contracts exist between China and international zoos is to try to help the species reproduce before they are brought back to their native land. For this reason, pandas are treated very well.
Zoo Osnabrück is located in south Osnabrück at the hillside of Schölerberg in Osnabrück, Germany. It was founded under the name "Heimattiergarten", and opened during the summer of 1936. Almost 3000 animals from roughly 300 species can be seen on the 23.5 ha (0.235 km2) land. It is famous for housing the Grolar Bear. This brought about many scientific inquiries into the zoo.
