WTAMU Introduce New Live Mascots: Lightning And Mater

West Texas A&M University introduced two new live mascots, a pair of 4 month old buffalo, nicknamed Lightning and Mater after characters in Pixar’s Route 66-themed film “Cars”.

The two will greet students during Buff Branding on August 21st and will be introduced to the larger WT community before the first home football game September 2nd.

President Walter V. Wendler said “WT is one of two universities that have live buffalo mascots,” “The tradition of our mascot and the traditions of our campus are important to our students, to our faculty and staff, and to the people who live in the Texas Panhandle.”

The calves are the responsibility of the WT Herdsmen, under the direction of Ph.D. student Logan Burleson in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.