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Tusk (mascot)
Encyclopedia
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
. It is one of three offspring of Tusk I (all male; female swine do not have tusk
Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth, usually but not always in pairs, that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canines, as with warthogs, wild boar, and walruses, or, in the case of elephants and narwhals, elongated incisors...
s) which were born on either August 2, 2002 or August 12, 2002, to two separate female sows. All three are Russian boars, resemble wild razorback
Razorback
Razorback is an Americanism, loosely applied to any type of feral pig or wild boar in North America. The term has also appeared in Australia, to describe said animals in that country.-Introduction to the Americas:...
hogs, and weigh in at approximately 475 pound
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s each.
All three Russian boars live on a rural farm, just outside of Dardanelle, Arkansas, and travel to every home football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game at Fayetteville, or Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as other select events (such as pep rallies
Pep rally
Pep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...
). Tusk III is put into a spacious cardinal red holding pen which travels through the crowds, with the cheerleaders on the upper level, making him a crowd favorite. During the actual game, Tusk is moved into Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium where he can be seen by the entire crowd.
Tusk II died on January 5, 2010 and his brother, Tusk III took over as the Razorback mascot. Tusk III, along with UGA, the Georgia Bulldog mascot, and Smokey, the bluetick coonhound of the Tennessee Volunteers, are the only lineage live mascots in the SEC. There are only a few lineage mascots in the entire country.
Tusk III occupies a 9000 square feet (836.1 m²) indoor facility and a 7000 square feet (650.3 m²) fenced outdoor area. He uses the indoor facility to escape the heat and sun, and the outdoor facility provides him the opportunity to slop in several mud holes. One of the first things that Tusk III does each day is to go straight to his mud hole for a mud bath. Since Razorbacks are extremely muscular and have very little body fat, the mud keeps him cooler throughout the day and protects him from the sun and insects.
Other Facts About Tusk
Russian boars are extremely strong and surprisingly quick and fast for their size. Tusk II repeatedly jumped over a four foot gate, at a weight of almost 500 pounds.Tusk II signed autographs. An actual hoof print of Tusk II was taken and applied to an ink stamp that can be used on paper or T-shirts. Kids and Razorback fans could request the stamp where ever Tusk II made an appearance.
Tusk II had a Facebook page that can be found by searching for Tusk Razorback Mascot.
Previous University of Arkansas live mascots
In addition to Tusk I (the father of the current Tusks who died in December 2004), the live mascot tradition dates back to the 1960s and a number of hogs have represented the university through the years. In addition to their presence on the sidelines of sporting events, some have also gained a reputation for some of their activities off the field. The live mascot was once called "Big Red", but now it is the name for a human mascot Big Red (University of Arkansas).Big Red III, for instance, escaped from an animal exhibit near Eureka Springs
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Eureka Springs is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, United States. Along with Berryville, it is one of the two county seats for the county. It is located in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 2,350...
in the summer of 1977 and ravaged the countryside before an irate farmer gunned him down. Ragnar, a wild hog captured in south Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
by Leola
Leola, Arkansas
Leola is a town in Grant County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 515 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Leola is located at ....
farmer Bill Robinson, killed a coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, a 450-pound domestic pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
, and seven rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
s. Ragnar died in 1978 of unknown causes.