The University of North Alabama has assembled a committee to explore the possibility of continuing the UNA tradition of having a live mascot on campus.

After the passing of Leo III, UNA’s most recent live mascot on campus, the University created a Shared Governance Committee to conduct research on the prospect of continuing to house a live lion(s) on campus, as the school has done since the 1970s.

“The purpose of the committee meetings is to gather a variety of different university representatives and determine if pursuing the purchase of another live lion is a financially feasible and responsible decision, develop a timeline for every stepping stone that must be completed to properly house a lion on campus, create a thorough report and analysis to advise President Kitts and maintain contact with different professionals and organizations that are knowledgeable in proper care for exotic animals in captivity,” states the Live Lions Committee Report.

“I think having a live mascot on campus has been great for student morale and school spirit,” said Ellie Vezina, Student Government Senator and representative on the Live Lions Committee. “It is such a special tradition.”

Before taking on the task of joining the committee, Vezina listed out the pros and cons of housing a lion on campus. She said that even though the lions held a prominent position in campus culture and tradition, she also was concerned that the lions would not be properly cared for and ethically sourced. To address these concerns, Vezina and the other members of the Live Lions Committee believe it is in the best interest of the University to become certified by the Association of Aquariums and Zoos.

“To be AZA certified means that an enclosure for a live animal is of the highest quality and care,” said Vezina. 

She continued to explain that obtaining AZA certification is a long and costly process, which the committee has ultimately concluded is worthwhile in order to maintain a high level of care for the animals.

AZA standards for habitat quality have increased over the past. AZA certification would pave the way for UNA to continue the live mascot tradition for the future, as it would allow the school to source lion cubs from reputable, AZA certified breeders. Both Mardis and Vezina expressed their desires to ethically source the cubs through the AZA.

One of the hurdles to becoming AZA certified is increasing the size of the lion habitat on campus. The habitat will need to be expanded to be twice its current size.

Though the process could be expensive, SGA President Kerigan Mardis says that the project would not be funded by student tuition, meaning that the cost of the project would not increase the cost of attending UNA, and would instead be funded through private donations.

“The great thing about UNA is that it provides affordable education for almost anyone,” said Vezina. “They truly do prioritize that.” 

Other alternative avenues of honoring the tradition have been proposed as well. Two of the most popular alternatives are to convert the lion habitat into a memorial or museum.

There are many factors playing into the Committee’s research process. The prospect of taking the necessary steps to get more lions would affect the local Florence community, faculty and administration, in addition to the student body. The community plans on hearing from leaders in the local community as well as UNA affiliated groups.

If the University eventually decides to take on the project, it could be up to five years before the campus has lions again. Construction of the habitat alone could take up to 21 months from start to finish.

The Committee is preparing a report to present to UNA President Ken Kitts by Dec. 1 of this year.