Roc might get a live counterpart at games

Roc the Panther might be calling in reinforcements to rally Pitt athletics.

And his options include a real panther.

Alex Murdoch, the business manager of Pitt’s Student Government Board, has been campaigning to find a live panther to become the beloved mascot of the University. Last semester, he thought of the idea when he was a First Year Mentor.

“I thought it might be cool idea to possibly pursue,” Board member Murdoch said. “A full-grown panther would be the best. I think it would be awesome. A lot of students have shown support for the idea.”

It’s worked for other schools. Mike VI, a Siberian-Bengal tiger, was in attendance when Louisiana State University won a BCS National Championship in his first year on the job in 2007. University of North Alabama’s live twin African lions, Leo III and Una, were ranked No. 1 of the 25 Best Real Animal Mascots in College Football by totalprosports.com.

But finding a panther of Pitt’s own could be tricky. Although a lion cub was donated to the University in 1968, no other felines have made a residence here since.

Approximately a decade ago, a real panther was temporarily brought onto campus and into the Cathedral of Learning for a film shoot. The clip is now present in the 2012 Pitt Football intro video.

Murdoch realizes the serious barriers in his way.

While many states prohibit the possession of wild or exotic animals, Pennsylvania’s Constitution allows private ownership of a panther after receiving a permit from the wildlife commission.

But finding a black panther is difficult enough.

Murdoch looked into the cost and maintenance of purchasing a panther as well as the price of renting one. The most likely candidate for Pitt would be a cougar, weighing in at more than 150 pounds. Pricing for the animal could range from $200 for a cub, to more than a thousand dollars, depending on the source and legality.

But housing raises even more problems — especially financial ones.

The Pittsburgh Zoo does not currently own any large, North American cats and would not permit the University to board an animal there, Murdoch said.

Baylor University paid $1 million for the habitat of its twin black bears, and Mike the Tiger’s mansion received $4 million for its construction.

Tracy Gray, the public and media relations manager for the Pittsburgh Zoo, said, “I can tell you that panthers are not pets. They are wild animals, and they respond as animals.”

According to Murdoch, Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kathy Humphrey suggested a tamer, more feasible idea: having a black Labrador named Panther.

Murdoch was unimpressed.

“I wasn’t going to settle for that,” he said.

At a recent University Senate Council meeting, Murdoch spoke with Chancellor Mark Nordenberg.

“The chancellor pulled me aside and said, ‘sometimes the chancellor of a University just has to pull a student aside and say ‘no.’”

“Yeah, but you haven’t done that yet, right?” Murdoch responded.

“You’re right. I haven’t,” Murdoch recalls Nordenberg saying, “so good luck!”