News

Baylor University bear mascot Judge Sue Sloan, known as “Lady,” beloved sister of the late Judge “Joy” Reynolds and cherished member of the Baylor Family, passed away peacefully today surrounded by her loving and dedicated caregivers, staff and veterinary team. Lady was 23.

College traditions are beloved on college campuses across the country. At Baylor, traditions are rooted in connection and community, giving students a lifelong tie to the University.

January is now busier than ever on the Baylor campus, as we quickly jump from students’ return for the spring semester to celebrating not one, not two, but THREE birthdays — those of our beloved live bears!

Guests are welcome to block party-style event to celebrate Judge Indy and Judge Belle on their milestone birthday

WACO, Texas (Aug. 22, 2023) – Baylor University is hosting a “welcome home” party for Judge Indy and Judge Belle – the University’s new American black bear cubs – at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat. The block party-style event will be held at the Bear Habitat from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 26.

WACO, Texas (May 22, 2023) – Baylor University today announced the addition of two American black bear cubs to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat. The cubs, named Judge Indy and Judge Belle, will join the Baylor Family in the on-campus habitat as early as mid-summer.

Yes, Baylor’s beloved American black bear is preparing to move on — in this case, from her campus habitat to a new home off-campus (located on the enrichment site she and her sister, Joy, have enjoyed for years).  There, she’ll continue to be taken care of by her Baylor Bear Habitat caregivers, staff and veterinary team.

As Lady joins the ranks of Baylor’s graduates, discover some of her favorite aspects of life on campus. 

WACO, Texas (April 19, 2023) – Baylor University is inviting students, alumni and all associated with the Baylor Family to join in celebrating the graduation of the University’s beloved American black bear, Lady, as she moves from the campus habitat to a private, auxiliary facility fully maintained by her Baylor Bear Habitat caregivers, staff and veterinary team.

In July, we mourned the loss of Judge Joy Reynolds, one of our beloved live bears. Her passing was felt across the entire Baylor community and beyond, prompting literally thousands of comments, reactions and memories on social media. Joy’s 21 years of life were spent cheering on Baylor and educating our community on conservation and […]

They may not be blue-check verified on Twitter, but Judge Joy and Judge Lady – Baylor University's two American black bears who reside on campus in the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat – will make history as the first live college mascots to send a tweet on the popular social media platform.

WACO, Texas (May 12, 2021) – The Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat at Baylor University today announced its approval for accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the independent, international accrediting organization for the best zoos and aquariums.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 11, 2021) – Baylor University announced today that Judge Lady, one of the University’s two beloved American black bears, is progressing to the next phase of her recovery and rehabilitation from a successful operation to remove a cyst that developed around her spinal column. The surgery occurred in August 2020 at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) in College Station.

After a late 2019 diagnosis with a benign thymoma mass, Lady, 18, received a series of innovative, noninvasive radiation doses called TomoTherapy — a treatment believed to be the first of its kind done on a bear. Follow-up examinations and radiograph images in July of this year showed Lady’s mass has not expanded, even suggesting a 20 percent reduction in size.

After a late 2019 diagnosis with a benign thymoma mass, Lady, 18, received a series of innovative, noninvasive radiation doses called TomoTherapy — a treatment believed to be the first of its kind done on a bear. Follow-up examinations and radiograph images in July of this year showed Lady’s mass has not expanded, even suggesting a 20 percent reduction in size.

As we reach the end of the second week of the fall semester, I want to commend all of you for your continued wearing of facemasks, practicing social distancing and following University guidelines and policies during this unique time of COVID-19.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 26, 2020) – Baylor University announced today that Judge Lady, one of the University’s two American black bears, is recovering from a successful operation to remove a mass that developed around her spinal column.

Starting off with some good news this week: You may recall that in December, one of our beloved black bears, Lady, underwent a first-of-its-kind treatment, called Tomotherapy, for a thymoma in her chest. Last month, Lady underwent a check-up from her veterinary team who came to visit her in Waco. The team took images of Lady’s chest and have reported that the Tomotherapy treatment is successfully managing the size of the mass – it has not grown.

WACO, Texas (April 20, 2020) – Amid the shelter-in-place mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, diligent student caregivers in the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat, a Class C Zoo, have maintained world-class supervision and protection of the University’s black bears, Judge Joy and Judge Lady.

Baylor University celebrates many beloved traditions, but few bring as much joy to students, alumni and friends and as many rich opportunities to interact with and educate young people in Central Texas as our live bear mascots, Joy and Lady. They are a cherished part of the Baylor Family.

WACO, Texas (Dec. 11, 2019) – Baylor University announced today that Lady, one of the University’s two American Black Bear mascots, is undergoing an innovative, noninvasive radiation treatment for a benign cranial mediastinal mass, or thymoma, in her chest. The tumor was found during a routine wellness examination with veterinarians at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.