First it was Rosie the tarantula, now this? Days after the Butterfly Pavilion said that its popular Chilean rose hair tarantula was done meeting the public after 28 years, the University of Colorado announced a big animal retirement of its own: The school’s current bison mascot, Ralphie VI, is retiring after four years of service. Nicknamed “Ember” by her handlers, Ralphie VI maintained the Boulder tradition of running across the field during CU football home games. She was the sixth bison to fill the role since 1967, according to CU, introduced at just fifteen months of age and weighing 500 pounds. After showing a recent “indifference to running,” which is typical for mammals her age, it was determined that it was time for Ember to live a more relaxed life on a ranch with her predecessor, Ralphie V. ✍️ Read the full story by tompettie at westword.com or at the link in our bio. 📸 CU Athletics #ralphie #cuboulder #universityofcoloradoboulder #coloradonews #boulder