Help me get a lion, tiger or bear!!

May 6, 2011 2:23 PM

Wonderful hive mind, can someone help me get either a bear, lion, or tiger to Chicago by Sunday?

It's that time of year again! University of Chicago's Scavenger Hunt is on! One of the main items on the list this year is to get a bear, lion, or tiger to come to campus with its trainer. I feel like this is something the hive mind can help me achieve!

If you think this is pretty crazy, it's actually quite tame compared to the infamous nuclear reactor that was built on the quad quite a few years ago...

posted by astapasta24 to Grab Bag (9 answers total)

Does it really have to be a feline lion? Or can it be some other kind of animal with "lion" in the name? Lionfish are easy to get. Tiger lilies are even easier.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:31 PM on May 6, 2011

Staley, the Chicago Bears mascot, will gladly appear at your event or party for a modest fee of $200–$600 an hour.
posted by halogen at 2:32 PM on May 6, 2011

Response by poster: Cool Papa Bell: Most preferably a real lion, tiger, or bear since the item says you can get bonus points if it does a trick...
posted by astapasta24 at 2:35 PM on May 6, 2011

Well, if I were judging I'd be impressed if a mascot could pull a quarter from behind my ear or something, but there may be a reason I'm not a judge...

Call the Princeton Tigers, two hours to the west on I-80!

P.S. I live close to the Mustard Museum and Mt. Horeb (yes, I know the MM isn't there anymore), if you are able to accept third-party help on those.
posted by Madamina at 2:51 PM on May 6, 2011

What you're probably looking for is something like this or this or especially this, though they aren't near Chicago at all. I think the google terms will probably be something like "exotic animal parties" or "animal rentals".

A Zoo To You might be able to give you the number of someone more regional, unless you'll accept a fennec fox. This is Michigan-based but animals aren't listed.
posted by quadrilaterals at 3:09 PM on May 6, 2011

Oh, will a mountain lion work? They'll be more common at nearby animal resuces, like this one in Lockport, which also has a bear.
posted by quadrilaterals at 3:11 PM on May 6, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks for all the new ideas guys!

Unfortunately, mountain lion apparently won't cut it. The bear from Big Run Wolf Ranch also is not allowed to leave their property!
posted by astapasta24 at 3:24 PM on May 6, 2011

ooh get the chicago bears mascot! if i were a judge i'd give you mad points for that, and especially if he does some sort of trick, as sports mascots often to on the field. i was going to suggest perhaps dunking a basketball from off a trampoline, but apparently the bears are a football team.
posted by custard heart at 3:43 PM on May 6, 2011

What about a member of an appropriate sports team, with one of the team's trainers? You could even teach him how to make pennies appear from behind people's ears.
posted by amtho at 5:06 PM on May 6, 2011 [1 favorite]