This is the climbing event at the Endangered Species Athletics competition, and the athletes are as diverse as their climbing styles. From rocky slopes to slick cave walls and giant sequoias, these athletes rely on impeccable balance, agility and grip to avoid a potentially devastating fall. Some approach the pitches upside down. Others prefer to use speed to reach their intended perch. In any case, they are all in tip top shape and ready to compete for the win. Let’s meet the athletes.
Beth Rawrden, Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher, Team Forest
Hometown: Shaver Lake, California
Length: 23 inches
Weight: 8 pounds
About Beth: An adventure lover from birth, Beth was the first of her siblings to climb out of her family’s cozy oak tree den. Her first few trips out of the tree were clumsy, but she was soon zipping through Sierra National Forest. When she was 5 months old, her family had to flee their den when a wildfire raged through the forest. It was a terrifying and devastating experience, but Beth found new adventures in climbing the giant Sequoias around their new home in Shaver Lake. “The Sequoias are great for endurance climbing, and you get an incredible view of the Sierras from the top.”
Climbing History: When Beth was just a few months old, her mother temporarily moved their family to a tree hollow in Yosemite National Park. There, Beth saw humans climbing the steep granite cliffs, which inspired Beth’s journey to become the best climber in the animal kingdom.
“At first, my toe beans were rubbed raw from all the climbing. By the time I was two, I scaled El Capitan, Half Dome and the tallest sequoias in the area.”
Back in the forest, Beth works on her toe dexterity and hanging endurance by stemming between trees. She builds speed, agility, and coordination by chasing her siblings up and down tree trunks and pouncing on rodent prey.
Climbing Stats: Beth scales giant sequoias and monstrous boulders at rapid speeds with her enormous leaps, precise paw placement and sharp claws that help her hang onto the steepest pitches. But she’s been known to get distracted by snacks. She lost her last competitive climb because she stopped for some chicken that was hanging on a tree trunk. “I needed the extra protein!” Beth justified. The side trip was caught on a wildlife camera, but the delay cost her the win.
Motto: "Climbers can be soft and STRONG!”
Brooke-tail Raboutou, Florida Panther, Team Wetland
Hometown: Immokalee, Florida
Height: 24 inches (at her shoulder)
Weight: 100 pounds
About Brooke-tail: As a kitten, Brooke-tail had an accident that permanently disfigured her tail, weakening her balance. For some panthers, an injury to their tail might put a climbing career out of reach, but Brooke-tail didn’t let it stop her from becoming an expert climber and panther celebrity. She won’t say how she got the injury, but ever since becoming a mom, she’s used her climbing fame to talk to people about her true passion: wildlife crossings. She says her mom was her first fan, and also the first to teach her how important it is to find a safe place to cross the highway.
When she’s not training, Brooke-tail enjoys exploring South Florida with her kittens. She wants to pass on her passion for both climbing and wildlife crossings to her kittens, so she often takes them across the wildlife underpass at the edge of Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge to practice their tree climbing skills at Big Cypress National Preserve. Sometimes her kittens are afraid of the loud noises from the highway above, but with patient encouragement, Brooke-tail hopes they will come to love the underpass as much as she does and climb all the trees the Refuge and the Preserve have to offer.
Climbing History: Brooke-tail loved to climb trees as a kitten and taunt the coyotes and alligators from above, and never quite grew out of it. Brooke-tail gained fame in the human world when a trail camera recorded doing a gravity-defying branch walk. Not only were they impressed by her skill, but they could also easily tell her apart from other panthers because of her crooked tail from her injury. As a panther celebrity, she has been featured on major social media channels and gained a devoted following.
Climbing Stats: With a running start, Brooke-tail can leap up to 40 feet, getting a big head start in her climbs. She can climb as high as 50 feet and jump from tree to tree when she really wants to impress.
Motto: "If at first you don’t succeed, dust your tail off and try again."
Ana "Riproot" Rose, Leedy's Roseroot, Team Forest
Hometown: Whitewater Park, Minnesota
Height: 18 inches
Weight: 3 pounds, 3 ounces
About Ana: Ana lives with her family of cliff-dwelling plants in southeastern Minnesota. She likes to stay close to family in her new cliff-view nook overlooking the Root River. When she’s not climbing to new heights to watch passing kayaks, she likes to listen to her grandma tell her about the family’s history. Her family has lived near this river since the time of the glaciers, and though they used to have relatives all over the country, her family - and some surviving cousins in New York - are all who’s left. A gift from her grandma, Ana always carries dolomite. A stone special to her family, they won’t live anywhere it’s not. Some call dolomite the ‘herb’ of rocks as it is used to strengthen bones and calm anxiety. Ana says she’s been keeping it close as the competition approaches.
Climbing History: Ana’s climbing ‘her’story goes back generations. Every year at the family reunion, climbing games are competitive, and though Ana took some interest as she was growing up, in recent years, she’s developed passion and skill for climbing. She has quickly risen in the ranks to become recognized as the best rootrippin’ climber this side of the Mississippi.
Climbing Stats: Ana’s known for her creativity and perseverance during a climb. No matter how vertical the slope, Ana can tuck into holds and scale them as easily as moss grows on trees.
Motto: “My roots are strong, but they don’t hold me down. They lift me up.”
Troy Globite, Virginia Big-Eared Bat, Team Forest
Hometown: Karst Cave, Virginia
Height: 4 inches
Weight: 0.3 ounces
About Troy: Though he could fly at just three weeks old, Troy prefers climbing to grab the moths he likes to munch on at snack time. Using his big ears that take up a quarter of his body length, he detects the vibrations in the cave walls to predict and avoid falling rocks, making him an excellent and precise climber.
Troy is a homebody who rarely leaves his cave so he can enjoy all his furniture made out of limestone, his favorite material. If he gets tired of the moths at home and wants to grab a quick bite, he heads to a nearby alfalfa field to chow down on some beetles and flies. His large family consists of dozens of other bats who huddle with Troy to keep warm on cool nights. While he sleeps through the winter, Troy devotes himself to his climbing regimen in spring, summer and fall.
Climbing History: Troy relied on flying to travel through his cave until he suffered a tragic injury while rescuing his little sister from being trampled by humans who entered their cave to have a party. Narrowly saving them both, Troy’s left wing was clipped by a human’s foot, affecting his flying prowess. Never one to back down from a challenge, Troy learned to use his hind feet and tail to help him climb dexterously through his cave.
Climbing Stats: Back when he used to rely on flying to travel through his cave, his record for moths eaten per minute was seven. Since he began honing his climbing skills, his new record for moths eaten is 12 per minute! In terms of speed, Troy can easily traverse his 10-foot-deep cave in a matter of minutes. The climbing event at the Endangered Species Athletics will be a cinch for the cave-climbing, limestone-loving, moth-munching Troy Globite!
Motto: “Every tasty moth is within reach if you just keep climbing.”
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