University of Houston’s new mascot cubs make their first public appearance at the Houston Zoo

Visitors to the Houston Zoo can now see the University of Houston’s baby mascots exploring their new habitat.

Shasta VII and Louie were first found at four weeks old in October 2022. They were rescued after a rancher found them orphaned on his property in Washington state. The two cubs are now five months old and are roaming the public area of ​​the Houston Zoo.

The two cubs succeeded Shasta VI, who died of a progressive spinal disease, and his companion, Hayley, who died of kidney disease.

Tori Miller, a zookeeper, cares for the cubs and said the more energetic cub has inherited the Shasta name.

“We wanted the most outgoing cub to be Shasta,” she said. “He was the one who came up first every time we started feeding them. So he got honors.”

Miller said that Shasta VII tends to clamber around habitat and is leaner than his brother Louis, who loves to eat. Zoo visitors who want to visit the cubs can also tell them apart by the tips of their tails. While the tip of Shasta VII’s tail changes color from dark to light brown, Louie’s is sharper. However, Miller also said that the cubs are likely to continue to change as they mature.

The first public appearance of Shasta VII and Louie has also served as a motivation for some students as they begin their college journey. Emily Bailey is a UH freshman who went to see the cubs on Friday.

“So humble, I thought about dropping out. And it makes me want to stay, you know they’re so cute,” she said. “It inspired me to stay.”

Bailey said meeting Shasta VII and Louie was also an opportunity to see the spirit of the school.

“Seeing all these people happy because of them and then the mascot on the outside presents, it just shows how, wow, people really love uh. And I just love it so much.”

Zookeepers say the cubs will soon be participating in other activities for UH, such as March Madness. Zoo visitors can find a pair opposite the black bears at the zoo.