History of Ranger Bear

History of Ranger Bear

I don’t recall the details of what was a very traumatic event, but I remember enough to know that I’m one lucky cub! 50 years ago, a circus was traveling through Wisconsin on their way to Milwaukee. One of the attractions was a mother bear and her cub (me) riding a tandem bicycle. We were quite good and there was even talk of us being called up to Ringling Brothers. Oh, but a terrible thunderstorm blew in from the west. My mama and I became separated while the circus continued north. So I guess I began to roam around the neighborhood looking for food. Because I was raised in a circus, I had very few survival skills. I stumbled across Thompson’s Orchard, which was filled to the brim with strawberries and apples! As I indulged in the plentiful food supply, I discovered they were building a brand-new university near my new orchard home! As you can imagine, there were a bunch of people looking for me. People with funny names like SPCA, PETA, and DNR. Anyway, a person spotted me enjoying some berries and shouted “Look at that little Ranger.” I won’t bore you with the details, but I was given a nice home in the orchard and when students started coming to UW-Parkside, I applied for the job of mascot. When they asked for my name, I had lost my circus performers union card in the storm, so I said, “Ranger Bear.” The rest, as they say, is history. UW-Parkside has been my home for 50 years (I exercise and eat right) and the school even named the sports teams after me, The Rangers!