Sebastian the Ibis
Sebastian the Ibis is the mascot for the Miami Hurricanes of University of Miami. He is an anthropomorphic white ibis with a Miami Hurricanes football jersey, number 0. History The ibis was chosen as Miami's unofficial mascot by Nathan Duncan in 1926, after the University of Miami student body chose the school's yearbook's name to be The Ibis. "Miami adopted a native marsh bird called the Ibis as the official mascot in 1926. The Ibis is known for its bravery as a hurricane approaches. Folklore maintains that other birds look to the Ibis for leadership. The Ibis uses its instinct to detect danger. It is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane hits, giving warning that danger is imminent. As the storm passes the Ibis is the first to reappear, a sign that clear skies are approaching." The first official mascot for the Miami Hurricanes was a 65-pound brown and white boxer dog named Hurricane I. Chosen in 1950, the canine wore a ceremonial orange and green blanket with his name lettered in white. Sebastian was created in August 1957 by Norman A. Whitten, Director of the Student Union at UM, and was used as a