by Amy Davis
Daily Cougar StaffThe issue of housing a live cougar mascot on campus has resurfaced. The UH Alumni Organization has formed a new "Shasta Committee" to look into the possibility.
The Alumni Organization Board of Directors plans to determine whether UH students, faculty and alumni support acquiring a live cougar mascot.
UH had live cougars, all named "Shasta," for 42 years, ending with the death of Shasta V from kidney failure in 1989.
However, when Shasta V passed away, then-UH President George Magner announced there would be no more live mascots, ending the tradition.
"The two reasons that Magner refused to house another cougar were that he felt it was a silly, childish thing, and that complaints were surfacing about keeping live animals caged," said UH philosophy professor John Leiber, who is a member of the committee and supports having a live cougar.
Leiber was a member of the Cougar Guard, a group of students responsible for feeding and caring of Shasta III and IV.
Leiber said he was the only faculty member serving in the Cougar Guard. Although it was meant for students, the group accepted him when members saw his mournful face after their first rejection.
Brines said the committee, which he said he considers a good representation of different university segments, would consider the possibility of reviving the Cougar Guard.
Jim Parsons, a freshman communications major, said he thinks housing a live cougar would probably increase game attendance.
"There has to be something we can do to promote school spirit and that's a good start," Parsons said.
However, Femi Olaoye, a mechanical engineering major, said he would have to consider the well-being of the animal before thinking about the enthusiasm it would bring to the students and the games.
"The cost of maintaining and keeping the animal would probably be the downside," he said.
Brines said the committee has already been divided into four subcommittees, which will look into care of animal, finance, building/location and campus interest. Each subcommittee is responsible for specialized tasks, including checking federal, state and local regulations concerning housing cougars and analyzing the interest of the UH community.
The committee also supported Texas Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr.'s proposed amendment to Senate Bill 583, which didn't pass, but would have added mountain lions to the list of game animals in the Parks and Wildlife Code. Had it passed, Lucio's amendment would've set a hunting season for the cats and required hunters to purchase a license to shoot mountain lions, as cougars are also called.
Presently, Texas has no laws against shooting mountain lions. Brines said the committee is working with the Legislature to help pass regulations on the hunting of cougars.
Brines has also become involved with wildlife societies in Texas. He said a number of cougars are put to sleep every year because people buy them as cubs, not realizing that upon full growth they will not be easy to care for. He said these cougars would not be able to survive in the wild.
"Our idea is to help cougars out in general," Brines said. "Then, if funding is available, we might go in the direction of housing a rescued cougar as a live mascot."
Leiber said UH footed some of the expenses of the previous cougars. He also said some small fund-raising efforts helped cover expenses.
However, if a new live cougar is attained, Leiber said the committee will "find a way of supporting the cougar outside of UH."
Brines said the committee is looking into the expense of building a larger, more adequate den than the previous "Cougar Cage," located to the southeast of E. Cullen near the campus swimming pool.
"Certainly we won't use the same facility (as before)," he said.
However, Leiber said he is not sure a bigger facility would be a good idea.
"The most dangerous part of handling the cougar was taking her out of the den," Leiber said. "One person would have to go inside to put Shasta's collar on. Once the collar was on, the cat was manageable and the danger was over. But, if the cougar had a larger cage, catching the cougar to put the collar on would be more difficult."
Despite complaints from animal rights' activists, Leiber said he thinks past mascots were "happy animals -- much happier than they tend to be in the zoo."
The average life expectancy of a cougar is 12 years. Shasta III lived 19 years.
"They are just big cats, and cats like to spend a lot of time sleeping in confined places. Cats sleep up to 22 hours a day," Lieber said.
He also said the cougars at UH were taken out of their cage for an hour and a half or two hours each day, unlike animals in the zoo.
"Zoos have cougars running out of their ears," Leiber said. "We could make a refuge to absorb some of this excess population."
UH band members Toni Camacho and Caulk May said a live cougar might entice students to go to games.
"We're certainly not going to make a decision without looking into everything first," Brines said.
The subcommittees will meet March 8 to report their findings.