Bearcat (Gone)

Cincinnati, Ohio

This weird hybrid is a bronze, muscular semi-human with fur, bear feet, and a cat's head (with bear ears). Bearcat stands eight feet tall, with its fists clenched and biceps bulging.

Bearcat is the mascot of the University of Cincinnati. Unlike most college mascot statues, this one is off-campus, visible from a public street, and designed for general visitor posing. It was sculpted in 2016 by alumnus Tom Tsuchiya, who also sculpted statues of Cincinnati Reds ballplayers -- fully human -- outside the team's baseball stadium.

Tsuchiya said that he consulted with Cincinnati students who had worn the Bearcat suit to ensure the statue's accuracy.

The original plan was to dress the statue in various University of Cincinnati sport team outfits -- but a rival team once pulled Bearcat's pants down. So now, most of the time, the statue is just nude.