Rebecca Oulton, an educator at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, is the primary handler for Stella the Owl, the live mascot of the Temple Owls, writes Brenden Welper for the NCAA.
Stella got her gig as the team’s mascot after Temple University reached out to the zoo to see if there was an ambassador animal that could come to the games.
“We tried her out and she did very well,“ said Oulton. “She’s been going for about six years now.“
Stella’s game-day routine starts with her being loaded into a special transportation crate.
“She sits on her perch for the first half of game, then there is the halftime meet-and-greet, and we’ll sometimes stay until the second half,“ said Oulton.
She added that Temple goes out of their way to accommodate Stella and are very understanding if the weather is too hot for her.
The 9-year-old great horned howl seems to enjoy the entire process.
“She’s a bit of diva, but she kind of likes being the focus of attention,“ said Oulton.
Read more about Stella the Owl at the NCAA by clicking here.
