Species | Eastern gray squirrel |
---|---|
Sex | Male |
Died | October 8, 2022 Springfield Avenue, Champaign, Illinois, U.S. |
Cause of death | Motor vehicle collision |
Known for | Distinctive piebald pattern, media appearances and tributes |
Residence | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
Pinto Bean was an eastern gray squirrel on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who was renowned and named for his rare piebald pattern. He died in Champaign on October 8, 2022, presumably due to a motor vehicle collision. [1] Pinto Bean has been called a "minor celebrity" [2] and a "grassroots, unofficial mascot" for the university. [1] During a home football game against Minnesota, a tribute to Pinto Bean was shown on the jumbotron at Memorial Stadium. [3]
A male eastern gray squirrel, [4] [5] Pinto Bean was named for his distinctive mixture of gray fur with patches of unpigmented white fur, which resembled the appearance of pinto beans. [1] According to Illinois Natural History Survey director Eric Shauber, this was the result of a rare genetic mutation that affected where melanin was distributed in the squirrel's body. [6] Shauber said the mutation was rare enough to assume that there was only one such squirrel on campus. [1]
Pinto Bean was found dead on the side of Springfield Avenue in Champaign on October 8, 2022. [7] His cause of death was presumably a vehicular collision. [1] [2] News of his death quickly spread on the r/UIUC subreddit and other social media. One user, Champaign resident Clark Jackson, retrieved the squirrel's remains and delivered them to a taxidermist in Bloomington in an effort to preserve the squirrel. [2] [8]
As of March 27, 2023, Pinto Bean's taxidermied remains are on display at the Forbes Natural History Building on the south side of the university's campus. [9]
During Illinois's October 15, 2022, home football game against Minnesota, the jumbotron at Memorial Stadium displayed a tribute to Pinto Bean at halftime. [3] The screen displayed an image of Pinto Bean, accompanied by the message: "RIP to Pinto Bean the Squirrel, forever in our hearts." [3]
The Illini Wildlife and Conservation Club held a moment of silence in remembrance of Pinto Bean. [1] Students and community members shared many tributes and eulogies on r/UIUC. [2]