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Sphinxes, Tigers & Other Wild Cats Statues

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Sphinxes
El Paso, TX
This pair of Sphinxes were installed at the Scottish Rite Temple in 1966. The terra cotta statues were cast in Perth Amboy, NJ. The same mold was later used to produce the Sphinxes at the Lee Lockwood Library in Waco, TX. These statues were modeled after the Sphinxes at the Scottish Rite Temple in Washington, DC. For more, see this website. [map]

Sphinx
Philadelphia, PA		 Sphinx
Oklahoma City, OK
This Sphinx in Philadelphia is one of a pair inside the Masonic Temple. It is made of cast iron and faced with bronze. The Temple was built in 1873. These statues were either installed then or shortly thereafter.

This Sphinx statue is one of four installed in 1999 at the parking lot entrances of the India Shrine Center. [map]

Panther
Ochopee, FL
This giant Panther is located at the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters. Florida panthers are an endangered species. This statue has been there since at least 2007. [map]

Panther
Ochopee, FL
This giant Panther is located on private property owned by Wooten's Everglades Airboat Tours. [map]

Panther
Homestead, FL
This giant, bronze Panther sculpture is located at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. It was created by Eric Berg and installed in 1990. [map]

Jaguar
Miami, FL
This Jaguar was the original mascot at the Miami Dade College Kendall Campus which was built around 1967. The sculpture is probably from then. The Shark is now the school's mascot.

Tiger
Key West, FL		 Tiger
McPherson, KS
The Tiger in Key West stood in front of Glynn Archer Elementary School when this photo was taken in 2009. The tiger was the school's mascot. The sheet metal sculpture was produced by George Carey and his Key West High School welding class in 1986. In 2013, the school closed and was about to be converted into a new City Hall. The tiger was going to be moved to another school but the decision was ultimately to keep it where it was originally. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Tiger in McPherson is installed in front of Central Christian College. The tiger, aka "Toby the Tiger", is the school's mascot. This photo is from 2010. The sculpture was repainted in 2013. In 2017, it was moved inside the lobby of the school's library. For more, see this website.

Tiger
Memphis, TN
This Tiger statue is installed in front of Armstrong Relocation. It was part of the "Tigers Around Town" public art installation in 2012 to commemorate the University of Memphis Centennial. The tiger is the school's mascot. 100 of these statues were built and installed in different locations with unique paint jobs. This one, named Butterscotch, was painted by Steven Harper. Most, if not all, of these statues remain. For more, see this website. [map]

Tiger
Middleton, TN		 Tiger
Natural Bridge, VA
This Tiger statue in Middleton is installed in front of Middleton High School. The tiger is the school mascot. [map]

This Tiger statue in Natural Bridge was created around the mid-1990s by Mark Cline. It is installed at an Exxon station. This statue was produced from the mold that Cline created when he made a tiger statue for Towson University. This statue has a raised front paw while the other statue does not. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Tiger
Clermont, FL		 Tiger
Hattiesburg, MS
This Tiger statue in Clermont is located at the Showcase of Citrus. [map]

This Tiger statue in Hattiesburg is installed on top of the Hattiesburg Zoo sign. [map]

Mike the Tiger
Baton Rouge, LA
This 12-foot-long, bronze Mike the Tiger sculpture at Louisiana State University is installed on campus in front of the real tiger mascot's habitat. The sculpture was created by Patrick Miller around 2008. For more, see this website. [map]

Tiger
Houston, TX
This Tiger sculpture is installed in front of Granville M. Sawyer Auditorium at the Texas Southern University. Does anyone know when the sculpture was built and/or who the sculptor was? Tommy the Tiger is the university's mascot.

Bengal Tiger
Pocatello, ID
This bronze Bengal Tiger sculpture was installed at Idaho State University in 2012. It was created by Malynda Cooper. The previous statue was created from papier-mache by Charles Koval in the late 1950s or early 1960s for a parade float. That statue was removed in 2013. It was put in storage but later destroyed. For more, see this website. [map]

Tigers
Detroit, MI
These Tigers are located at Comerica Park, the stadium of the Detroit Tigers baseball team. The sculptures were designed/created by Michael Keropian for the new stadium which opened in 2000. There are nine tigers are at ballpark's entrances. The largest one at ground level is 15 feet tall while a couple on the roof are 30 feet long. The pillars are incised with tiger scratch marks and tiger heads with baseballs in their mouths. There are also two 80-foot-tall baseball bats. For more, see this website. [map]

Golden Tiger
Gainesville, GA
The Golden Tiger is the mascot of Brenau University which is near this bronze statue. It was sculpted by Gregory Johnson and installed in 2013. It is 14 feet long. The statue was named Lucile as a tribute to Lucile Townsend Pearce, the wife of a previous University president. [map]

More Tiger Statues:
Towson, MD
Towson, MD
Hysham, MT

Esso Tigers [gone]
Mount Ephraim, NJ

Esso Tiger [gone]
Verona, PA
These fiberglass Tigers in Mount Ephraim were located at an Exxon gas station in Deptford, NJ before being moving here in the 1990s. The upright tiger is an example of the statues that were mass-produced for Esso in the 1960s or early 1970s. They were used in conjunction with the company's "Put a Tiger in Your Tank" advertising campaign. There are only a couple others that I know of still standing at gas stations. The smaller tiger was probably not made for Esso and might have come from a mini golf. These photos are from 2009. The statues were still there in 2013. However, by 2015, the Exxon station became a Union 76 station and the statues were removed. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

This Tiger in Verona stood in front of T.E. Fall Automotive, a repair shop. The building was probably an Esso station originally. The statue's feet have been encased in cement. This was probably done to deter thieves. The statue was still there in 2013 but gone by 2015.

Esso Tiger [gone]
Lake Ozark, MO		 Esso Tiger [gone]
Salisbury, MA
These Esso Tiger statues were installed on the roofs of Esso gas stations. They were produced in the mid-1960s by International Fiberglass. These statues came in two sizes: three and seven feet long. Since there was no exclusive contract with Esso, International Fiberglass produced these signs with different colors and stripes and sold them to other customers. These Cougars were produced with a golden paint job and shorn whiskers [photo thanks Terry Nelson]. These International Fiberglass photos courtesy of Terry Nelson: 1 and 2.

The Tiger in Lake Ozark was located at the Two-Bit Town mini golf course when this photo was taken in 2010. Two-Bit Town was closed by 2013. In 2016, it was announced that this statue and the others at Two-Bit would be moved to a water park in town. I don't think that ever happened.

The Tiger in Salisbury was installed on the office roof of Salisbury Mini Golf & Kart Land. This place was previously known as Adventure Golf. It had been abandoned for years. This photo was from 2010. Later that year, the tiger was gone.

Esso Tiger
Richmond, TX
This Esso Tiger is located at Horsch Tire & Service Center (now Zurovec's Auto & Transmission Repair). I don't know how long this statue has been here or if this building was originally an Esso station. [map]

Esso Tiger
Guymon, OK
This Esso Tiger is installed on top of the pole sign at Tiger Auto Sales, a used car dealer. The tiger is the mascot of the local schools' sports teams. [map]

Esso Tigers
Brookshire, TX
These Esso Tiger statues are located at the Hemi Hideout. They are different sizes.

More Esso Tiger Statues:
Atlanta, GA [vintage; gone]
Anderson, MO
Hendersonville, NC
Hampton, NH
Cortland, NY
Gloversville, NY [gone]
Newport, RI
Toano, VA

Wampus Cat
Conway, AR
This Wampus Cat is installed at the football field of Conway High School where he is the school's mascot. This mythological beast has six legs: four to run with and two to fight with. Wampus cats are usually depicted as gold with maroon stripes. However, this one is blue to match the school's color. For more, see this website.

Wampus Cat
Conway, AR
This bronze Wampus Cat is also located at Conway High School. It was built by Raymond Gibby and installed in 2013. [map]

Wampus Cat
Itasca, TX
This Wampus Cat statue was installed at an Exxon station. This version of Wampus Cat has only two arms. The Wampus Cat is the local high school's mascot. It seems to be just a coincidence that the statue bears a resemblance to the standing tigers associated with Esso (later Exxon) gas stations. Esso's tigers were fiberglass while this statue is plaster over wire mesh. In 2009, this statue was hit by a car and badly damaged. It is now in a city storage yard. These photos are from 2011. It is not known if the statue will be repaired or destroyed. For more, see this website.

More Wild Cat Statues:
Panther (O'Fallon, IL)
Wildcat (Lexington, KY) [map]
Panthers (Charlotte, NC) [map]
Wildcat (Providence, RI)

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