This academic year, the U of I campus community and beyond has been entranced by the story of Pinto Bean, the rare piebald squirrel whose life was tragically cut short by an encounter with a vehicle last fall. We’ve certainly done our share of Pinto Bean coverage. The little guy even made our BEST Culture list of 2022. Soon after his passing, it was announced that the famous squirrel would be preserved by a taxidermist in Bloomington-Normal.
He is now mounted on a branch — so he can forever be climbing a tree — and lives at the Forbes Natural History Building on Oak Street.
“Look! It’s Pinto Bean! The UI’s famous piebald squirrel is back!” #PintoBean was a beloved eastern gray squirrel residing on the #UIUC Campus. PB was found dead on 8 Oct 2022. After some taxidermic rejuvenation, PB's looking good & settling into a new home…away from cars! #INHS pic.twitter.com/v6YggtSqx7
— Joseph Lee Spencer (@talkingrootworm) March 24, 2023