LSE Beaver
Despite the fact that the LSE campus resembles a zoo with all the statues of animals we have lying about the place, LSE’s mascot is not a penguin or an elephant but actually a beaver. Bizarrely we don’t actually have a beaver statue, we did used to have a statue (photo below from Library archives, circa 1925) but no-one seems to know what happened to it, and so unfortunately in 2013 the best you’ll find is a beaver over the arches of the Old Building (second photo below).
What is slightly odd about having a Beaver as our mascot is that they were hunted to extinction in the British Isles and in the 17th century nearly became totally extinct throughout Europe, (maybe we should have opted for a Dodo? Or perhaps a Unicorn?) However there is a handful of chaps about in the UK, literally a handful…about 20 have been reintroduced in Scotland. Don’t be expecting LSESU to be bringing one the next petting zoo.
But anyway, back to the LSE Beaver. The beaver animal was chosen as a mascot to be placed on the coat of arms for LSE in 1922 by Professor Edwin Cannan. He suggested the second largest rodent in the world because it has “foresight, constructiveness and industrious behaviour” like all good LSE students, apparently.
Whilst there aren’t many Beavers on campus, or in real life, there are quite a few beaver emblazed LSE things. For instance the independent student run paper is of course called The Beaver, Rosebery Hall’s bar is called The Tipsy Beaver (photo below) and the AU sports kit has a beaver on it. You can also purchase your own stuffed beaver from LSESU gift shop (no beavers were harmed in the process of making this toy).
As with every good LSE story, Kings College have to come in at some point and spoil things. We used to have a rather odd looking giant stuffed Beaver (see photo) but in 1983 at a RAG event some Kings students pinched poor old Beaver. Pathetic.