 Pinto Bean inChampaign, October 2022 | |
| Species | Eastern gray squirrel |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Died | October 8, 2022 Springfield Avenue,Champaign, Illinois, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Motor vehicle collision |
| Known for | Distinctivepiebald pattern, media appearances and tributes |
| Residence | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
Pinto Bean was aneastern gray squirrel on the campus of theUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who was renowned and named for his rarepiebald pattern. He died inChampaign on October 8, 2022, presumably due to amotor vehicle collision.[1] Pinto Bean has been called a "minor celebrity"[2] and a "grassroots, unofficial mascot" for the university.[1] During a homefootball game againstMinnesota, a tribute to Pinto Bean was shown on thejumbotron atMemorial Stadium.[3]
A maleeastern gray squirrel,[4][5] Pinto Bean was named for his distinctive mixture of gray fur withpatches of unpigmented white fur, which resembled the appearance ofpinto beans.[1] According toIllinois Natural History Survey director Eric Shauber, this was the result of a rare genetic mutation that affected wheremelanin 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 inChampaign 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/UIUCsubreddit and other social media. One user, Champaign resident Clark Jackson, retrieved the squirrel's remains and delivered them to ataxidermist inBloomington 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]
DuringIllinois's October 15, 2022, homefootball game againstMinnesota, thejumbotron atMemorial 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]