What do the Clemson, Auburn, Louisiana State and the University of Missouri have to do with saving endangered species? More than you might imagine, thanks to the coincidence of their common mascot, the tiger. While most people will cheer for their team without giving the mascot a second thought, these universities decided to do something more for their endangered namesake.
They formed the Tigers United University Consortium to support research, education and conservation measures aimed at helping tigers in the wild. The program is a rare example of what scientists think could become a valuable conservation tool: tapping the energy and popularity of elite sports to boost wildlife protection.
“Sport organizations mobilize huge global audiences, and wildlife is at the heart of many of their identities,” said Ugo Arbieu, an ecologist and postdoctoral researcher at Paris-Saclay University in France. “This emotional connection between fans and the animals that represent their teams could be harnessed to support conservation at scale.” To see how far such campaigns might reach, Arbieu and a group of scientists from Europe, Canada, Australia and the U.S.
set out to document just how much wildlife intersect with sports teams, and which creatures are represented. The result was a menagerie worthy of Noah’s ark, ranging from the predictable (tigers, lions) to the locally quirky (the Tasmanian Echidna volleyball team) to the truly random (Argentine soccer team Club Atlético Platense is nicknamed “Calamar” i.e.
All told, the researchers counted 727 wildlife-inspired names and mascots representing a quarter of all the teams in professional leagues for 10 major team sports in 50 wealthy countries around the world, they report in a recent paper in BioScience. The animal count was weighted, not surprisingly, in favor of predators. The most popular mascot species, in order, were the lion, tiger, wolf, panther, grizzly bear, cougar, fox, lynx, African and Asian elephants and bald eagle.
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Many of these animals could use more attention, when it comes to conservation. A disproportionate number are considered either vulnerable or endangered and have declining populations, the scientists found. “Lions and tigers embody values like strength and courage, but in the wild many of these species are declining,” said co-author Franck Courchamp at Paris-Saclay University.
“Teams have a unique opportunity — and perhaps a responsibility — to help protect the biodiversity behind these emblems.” So far, it appears not many have taken up the call. Besides the tiger consortium, the paper notes one other initiative, in which a Japanese baseball team, the Seibu Lions, launched a program to support conservation Oxford University researchers studying predators in Africa.
The scientists don’t offer a lot of details about how teams could be enticed to take up their animal’s cause. Sports backers might be more willing to make that connection if their animal has a local presence that resonates with fans, they note (despite the lion and tiger examples).
For instance, sports organizations with a wolf mascot could provide assistance to livestock owners, promote the livestock industry or encourage fans to volunteer for conservation programs related to wolves. What the authors don’t mention is that depending on the animal, such measures could also threaten to embroil the team in a political controversy. Wolf management a source for heated debates. A separate group of scientists have suggested another idea: making companies and other entities in wealthy countries pay a royalty dedicated to conservation for the use of endangered species images (consider the lion logo of English soccer’s Premier League).
That would really get the team owners roaring. Want to see which pro teams around the world are using animal mascots? The authors have created a website with an interactive map overlaid with logos for all the teams that fall into what they are calling “The Wild League.” Arbieu, et.
“Wildlife Diversity in Global Team Sport Branding.” BioScience.
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