Tusk Lives Large in Hog Royalty

For Arkansas Razorback mascot Tusk I, life couldn’t be much better.

Tusk I lives like hog royalty thanks to Tyson Foods Inc., which agreed to house the Russian boar when he was moved away from his southern Arkansas farm.

We wondered if his life of luxury — he has two wives, 16 offspring and eats very well according to Tyson Foods spokesman Ed Nicholson — may be in jeopardy since the Springdale company has elected to restructure its pork operations.

“He is blissfully unaware,” Nicholson said of Tusk I. “And maybe we should just say he has two significant others rather than two wives.

“He’s a little overweight. He gained it during the significant others’ pregnancies. They were all in a pen together and he had a tendency to monopolize the food troft. But he’s trimmed down for football season.”

Chuck Barrett is president of Tusk Savers Inc., a group formed after Tusk I was brought to Northwest Arkansas to raise money for day-to-day care of the animal.

“We bought a couple of gilts [breeding females],” Barrett said. “I guess we were love brokers. Tusk is living well.”

In the future, donors may be able to get one of the offspring to raise. Two offspring will be retained for future Razorback mascots.