Happy birthday to THE Baylor Bears — Joy & Lady!

Can you believe it? Lady, the younger of our two beloved American black bears, is turning 20!

This week actually marks the birthday of both of Baylor’s favorite bears. Joy (officially Judge Joy Reynolds) turned 21 on Jan. 27, while her sister, Lady (Judge Sue Sloan), turns 20 on Jan. 31.

It’s been a remarkable year for Lady leading up to her 20th birthday — making progress in recovering from two major health scares, having her home become the world’s first AZA-accredited university facility, starring as the subject of a documentary about her groundbreaking health journey, and becoming the first live college mascot to actually send a Tweet.

Lady continues to be her rambunctious self (especially compared to Joy’s sweeter, more cuddly personality). Visitors stop by the Bill & Eva Williams Bear Habitat year round to watch them sunbathe, swim, and engage in enrichment programs with their student caretakers, and thousands more follow their exploits on social media. We love watching Lady and Joy grow together, whether in the Habitat or at their larger, secondary facility off-campus, where they have more room to roam.

The birthday bears plan to celebrate February 5 — block party style. To learn more about the upcoming event (or just to keep up with our favorite bears), follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Sic ’em, Joy & Lady!