Bear Habitat

A Tradition of Stewardship, Education, and Conservation

The "Patron Saint of all Baylordom," the Bear has served as the Baylor Mascot since 1914 when students selected it over the Buffalo, Antelope, Frog, Ferret, and Bookworm.

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Meet Our Bears

Many American Black Bears have called Baylor home since 1917. Our current bears, Judge Joy Reynolds (Joy) and Judge Sue Sloan (Lady), are biological sisters. Joy arrived on campus as a cub in 2001 and was named after the wife of the 11th President of Baylor, Dr. Herbert H. Reynolds. Lady arrived as a cub one year later and was named after the wife of the 12th President of Baylor, Dr. Robert B. Sloan, Jr. Lady's nickname comes from Mrs. Sloan serving as the First Lady of Baylor.

Our Bears
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News

Oct
27
2021
Baylor Bears Judge Joy and Judge Lady Take Over Twitter
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.
May
12
2021
Baylor Bear Habitat Becomes First University Facility in the World to Earn AZA Accreditation
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.
Jan
11
2021
Baylor Bear Mascot Lady Progressing to Next Phase of Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan
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.
Oct
14
2020
Bear Update: Home and Health
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.
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Our Home

Bill & Eva Willams Bear Habitat

Baylor students, school groups, and campus visitors frequently visit Joy and Lady’s home at the Bill & Eva Williams Bear Habitat, a facility heralded as one of the most visited spots on campus. The Habitat welcomes an estimated 250,000 visitors per year, including over 5,000 children visiting on educational trips for schools, camps, etc. The Bill & Eva Williams Bear Habitat is fully accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture as a Class C Zoo, and the license is renewed annually based on adherence to standards of care and facility maintenance, demonstrated during random and rigorous inspections by the USDA. We look forward to seeing you soon!

M.P. Daniel Esplanade
Waco,TX 76706

Directions

Daily:
9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

(Hours are subject to change
due to weather and special events.)

Connect With Us


(254) 710-3322

Bill & Eva Willams Habitat
M.P. Daniel Esplanade, Waco, TX 76706

Baylor Chamber of Commerce
Bill Daniel Student Center (SUB) basement
1311 S. 5th Street, Waco, TX 76706

Judge Joy and Judge Lady
One Bear Place #97185, Waco, TX 76798

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Chamber of Commerce Logo

Operated by the Baylor Chamber of Commerce

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Licensed by the USDA as a Class C Zoo