A popular character among Northwest fans, Bobby has been on the job for many years.
The Bearcat became Northwest's official mascot in 1916 when the basketball coach at Drury College asked the Northwest coach if he had his "fighting Bearcats" ready for the game. The student body quickly adopted "Bearcats" as the team name. The animal is characterized as a beast that is difficult to hold or capture.
The first drawing of Bobby Bearcat was completed in 1927 for Northwest by the Dennison Manufacturing Company of Massachusetts. The rendering was applied to labels used to promote school spirit and soon started appearing on luggage, cars and school bags. Later versions of Bobby were created by the Art Department. Now, all University teams use Bobby as their sole mascot, and he remains a proud symbol of school spirit and Northwest's continuing legacy of athletic excellence. He can be seen with the Bearcat Cheerleaders at all home football and basketball games, as well as other sports. Bobby also makes appearances around the community.
Bobby's Accomplishments
- 2004-2005
NCA Collegiate All-American Mascot
Ranked #1 NCA Mascot in Div II Ranked #10 NCA Mascot in the Nation, All Divisions
- 2005-2006
NCA Collegiate All-American Mascot
Best Overall Mascot at Kansas State Collegiate Camp
Ranked #1 NCA Mascot in Div II Ranked #6 NCA Mascot in the Nation, All
- 2005-2006 Rachel House Memorial Cheerleading Award
- 2007 Ranked 19 of 42 at UCA Nationals
- 2010 Ranked #3 UCA Mascot in the Nation
Arctictis Binturong
The binturong, sometimes called the bearcat, is a member of the civet family. It lives in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, from India to the Malay Peninsula. The binturong is primarily a fruit eater, but also eats insects, fish, small mammals, and birds. The binturong has a long, prehensile tail, which it uses to grasp branches as it forages in the trees. They love bananas and grapes!
They're about six feet long (half body, half tail), weigh about 50 pounds, and have shaggy black fur tipped with gray. And what a face! Small and intense eyes, with dime-sized ears topped by long, furry fringes. Thick, wild whiskers frame a small muzzle, ending in a shiny black nose. They're neither bears nor cats. They're one of two carnivores with a prehensile tail (the other is a kinkajou). One amazing feature of the binturong is a popcorn-like aroma, which comes from a scent gland near its tail.
