Alpacas
A ubiquitous symbol of the World Scholar's Cup is that of the alpaca. The alpaca appears on the cover of every guide released by the program, as well as in its official logo. At competitions, students receive their own alpacas from staff members. These alpacas may come in the form of finger puppets, stuffed toys, and sometimes dolls made with real alpaca fur. Different types of alpacas are showcased in the World Scholar's Cup. They range from the Japanese alpaca, Totoro, to several collector versions.
During the 2011 season in honor of biotechnology being the focus of the science subject, Daniel Berdichevsky introduced to the competition a new hybrid mascot known as the "Alpabear". These half-alpaca-half-bears "possess many of the same characteristics as normal alpacas." The founder also introduced the result of a science "fraught with peril"--a bright blue, giant alpabear known by the name "Blue Bear". With the exception of Blue Bear, these alpabears are sometimes given out at competitions and other special occasions.
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