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When Bing the binturong isn’t bringing Bearcat spirit to campus, he will be cared for at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York.

Binghamton University has welcomed a new addition to its mascot team — a real-life bearcat named Bing.

This summer, it was announced that Bing the Bearcat, the product of a newly formed partnership between the University and Animal Adventure Park, will join Baxter in boosting school spirit and may make a few appearances at non-sporting events on campus. He was brought to BU thanks to last year’s Road Map interns, Nora Monasheri ’23, MBA ‘24 and Mia Raskin ’23, MBA ‘24. Bearcats, also known as binturongs, are mammals native to the treetops of South and Southeast Asia. Though Bing is only five months old, he is trained as an ambassador animal — he will not be placed in stressful situations and can interact with the campus community on his terms.

Ryan Yarosh ‘02, MPA ‘09, BU’s senior director of media relations, said the University will prioritize Bing’s health and safety.

“We will follow his lead and will not put him in stressful situations,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “We believe in ‘free choice’ interaction. Bing’s safety and comfort will always come first.”

Bing, who will have a care team of professional zoologists, is being trained and bonding with the team at Animal Adventure Park. The park’s owner, Jordan Patch, hopes that Bing will bring new opportunities for students to learn about binturongs.

“Our team members, who are quite dedicated to working with Bing, will continue that bond in their relationship throughout his life, at his comfort level,” Patch said. “Being an ambassador for the species opens the door to engage and educate the Binghamton University community. Understanding and appreciation, leads to education!”

Not everyone was as excited about BU’s new partnership with Animal Adventure Park. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has spoken out against the new living mascot, releasing a press statement earlier this month condemning BU for putting a live animal in the mascot role. The statement cast Animal Adventure Park as a roadside zoo, saying they have multiple animal welfare violations.

The organization sent University President Harvey Stenger a letter to urge him to reconsider using a live animal as a mascot. They mentioned past incidents at other campuses using living mascots.

“The public has turned its back on using animals for entertainment, and with this stunt, Binghamton is signaling to the world that it supports animal exploitation,” said Klayton Rutherford, the manager of research and content at PETA. “PETA is urging the school to reconsider, to cut ties with Animal Adventure Park, and to cancel plans to use any live animal as its mascot.”

Rutherford added that the University gave PETA a “nonresponse” to the letter arguing Bing is not being cared for by the University but by an “outside exhibitor.” While PETA is adamantly against the idea of the University’s use of live animal mascots, one student was more cautiously optimistic about having a live Bearcat mascot.

“I think there are definitely some ethical concerns as well,” Katelyn Chan, a sophomore majoring in psychology, said when discussing the new mascot. “I think the concept is very cool, but the execution of it is something that people probably have to be looking out for.”