Global Sports Teams and Their Animal Mascots Could Play a Powerful Role in Wildlife Conservation

The global sports industry may be sitting on an unexpected but powerful tool to help protect endangered wildlife. A recent scientific study published in the journal BioScience highlights how animal mascots, logos, and team names used by sports organizations around the world could become meaningful drivers of biodiversity conservation. The research shows that many of the animals celebrated in stadiums, merchandise, and fan culture are the very species facing serious population declines in the wild.

The study was led by Dr. Ugo Arbieu from Université Paris-Saclay in France and involved an extensive analysis of 727 professional sports organizations across 50 countries and 10 different team sports. The goal was simple but ambitious: to understand how wildlife is represented in global sports branding and what that representation could mean for conservation efforts.

What the researchers found is striking. A significant share of sports teams around the world use wild animal symbols, and many of these animals are officially classified as threatened or experiencing long-term population declines. According to the researchers, species that are struggling in nature are actually overrepresented in sports branding compared to species that are stable or increasing.

The authors argue that this overlap creates a rare opportunity. Sport holds enormous cultural power, emotional influence, and financial reach. When combined with conservation goals, it could help shift public attitudes, generate funding, and bring biodiversity into the sustainability agendas of sports organizations.

Wildlife in Sports Branding Is More Common Than You Might Think

The study examined team names, logos, mascots, and visual identities across a wide range of sports, including football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, rugby, and others. Out of the hundreds of teams analyzed, wildlife imagery appeared again and again, spanning mammals, birds, reptiles, crustaceans, and even cephalopods.

Large predators were especially popular. Animals such as lions, tigers, wolves, bears, leopards, and eagles appeared frequently, often chosen for the qualities they symbolize, including strength, courage, dominance, and resilience. These traits align naturally with competitive sports culture, making such animals appealing choices for branding.

However, many of these same species are facing severe pressures in the wild due to habitat loss, climate change, poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and declining prey availability. The study found that animals listed as threatened or near-threatened by global conservation authorities are disproportionately represented in sports team identities.

This pattern was not uniform across the world. The researchers observed regional differences in mascot choices. In some regions, teams tended to use local or native species, while in others, teams favored exotic or globally recognizable animals that do not naturally occur in that region. These choices reflect cultural perceptions of wildlife and the symbolic meanings attached to certain species.

Why Fans’ Emotional Connections Matter for Conservation

One of the most important insights from the study is the role of emotional attachment. Sports fans often form deep psychological bonds with their teams, extending beyond players and results to include mascots, logos, chants, and symbols. These connections can last a lifetime and are reinforced through merchandise, media coverage, and shared social experiences.

The researchers argue that this emotional investment could be redirected toward conservation. When fans proudly wear a jersey featuring an animal, that animal already holds personal meaning. With the right messaging, education, and partnerships, these animals could become flagship species for conservation efforts.

Flagship species are animals used to represent broader environmental issues, helping to raise awareness and mobilize public support. Sports mascots are uniquely positioned to serve this role because they already enjoy mass recognition and cultural relevance, even among people who may not otherwise engage with conservation topics.

Integrating Conservation Into the Sports Industry

The study emphasizes that the sports industry has both the reach and resources to make a real impact. Sports organizations generate enormous revenue through ticket sales, broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and merchandise. Even small conservation initiatives tied to these revenue streams could produce meaningful funding for wildlife protection.

The researchers suggest several practical ways sports teams and their commercial partners could contribute. These include supporting conservation organizations, funding habitat restoration projects, educating fans about the real-world status of mascot species, and integrating biodiversity goals into broader sustainability strategies.

The study also highlights how sports organizations could help address conservation conflicts, particularly in cases where wildlife protection creates tension with local communities. Large carnivores such as wolves are a common example. Teams associated with these animals could help fund protective equipment for livestock owners, promote coexistence strategies, or encourage fan engagement with conservation agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

By doing so, sports teams could help reduce conflict while reinforcing a more balanced and informed view of wildlife conservation.

A First Step Toward Biodiversity in Sports Sustainability

The authors describe this research as a critical first step. The study does not claim that sports branding alone can solve biodiversity loss, but it demonstrates that sport is an underused platform with enormous potential. Conservation has traditionally relied on government policy, nonprofit organizations, and scientific institutions. The sports industry represents a powerful additional ally that has not yet been fully engaged.

Importantly, the study calls for collaboration rather than criticism. The goal is not to shame teams for using animal imagery, but to encourage them to recognize the influence they already hold and to use it responsibly.

Extra Context: Why Sports and Conservation Are a Natural Fit

Sports and conservation may seem like separate worlds, but they share several key characteristics. Both rely heavily on community identity, long-term loyalty, and emotional engagement. Both also operate on global scales, crossing national and cultural boundaries.

In recent years, sports organizations have become more active in environmental sustainability, focusing on issues like carbon emissions, waste reduction, and energy use. Biodiversity conservation is a logical next step, particularly because wildlife imagery is already embedded in sports culture.

There are also growing global initiatives aimed at connecting sport and nature, including international frameworks that encourage sports organizations to commit to protecting ecosystems and species. This study adds scientific evidence to support those efforts and offers a roadmap for deeper engagement.

Another important factor is visibility. Conservation campaigns often struggle to reach audiences outside already interested groups. Sports, by contrast, reach millions of people weekly through live events, broadcasts, and social media. This visibility could help normalize conservation as a mainstream concern rather than a niche issue.

What This Could Mean Going Forward

If sports organizations choose to act on these findings, the impact could be substantial. Teams could transform mascots from purely symbolic figures into ambassadors for real-world conservation. Fans could learn that the animals they cheer for on the field are fighting for survival off it.

The study ultimately reframes sports branding as more than marketing. It suggests that logos and mascots can become tools for education, funding, and social change. In a time of accelerating biodiversity loss, finding new ways to engage people is essential, and the global sports industry may be one of the most promising places to start.

Research paper: https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biaf181