Fierce. Graceful… Cute? The snow leopard, or Panthera uncia, is many things. These endangered felines can be found (though their camouflage makes that a tough task) in mountainous expanses across Asia – from Siberia and Mongolia in the north to India and China in the south.
By most estimates, there are under 10,000 – and perhaps closer to 4,000 – specimens left in the wild. Despite their solitary lifestyle and preference for rather inhospitable conditions, they are under constant threat due to human encroachment and destruction of habitats. Because of this, numerous initiatives have been established to preserve and protect the species.
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The university and the leopard
So, how did ITMO University come to adopt the snow leopard as its mascot? It all goes back to 2013 and the establishment of our student sports club KronBars. The name took its first half from the address of ITMO’s main campus on Kronverksky Prospekt; and the second half is a reference to the university’s grading system, BaRS (балльно-рейтинговая система – “points-and-rankings system”). Барс just so happens to be the Russian word for a snow leopard, and thus the choice of mascot was clear. And it certainly didn’t hurt that snow leopards are courageous, resilient, and highly agile creatures!
Fun fact: with their powerful hind legs, snow leopards are known to cover distances of up to 10-15 meters in a single leap!
So, don’t be surprised when you arrive at any sports-related event at ITMO, such as the bi-annual Bike Ride with the Rector, and spot the hard-to-miss silhouette of Tim the Snow Leopard, the club’s ever-present mascot. And even on an everyday basis, his fingerprints – or, rather, pawprints – are all over campus. Should you find yourself looking for the sporting facilities on ITMO’s Lomonosova St. premises, or the KronBars coworking area on Kronverksky 49, follow the colored paw stickers on the ground!
In the future, Tim will also be making his foray into the digital realm. Eagle-eyed users of the my.itmo portal may already know what we’re hinting at. If not – be on the lookout for updates! ;)
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Title image credit: Robert Sachowski (@rsachowski) via Unsplash
