Cyrus was one of our super ferals. We had never even been able to touch him. Cyrus was born on this property when Mama Memphis had her second litter of babies in 2019…which was before our time. He was part of a litter that was completely undocumented here. His name had never been recorded…and so we named him ourselves.
One afternoon, Cyrus got a tusk caught on the fence. In a frantic effort to help him, his herd sprang into action, which is a terrifying sight to behold. Forty-some pigs sprinting to help their friend in need is dangerous. Though our crew worked to free Cyrus as quickly and safely as possible, it was obvious that his injury was serious and that he needed emergency care.
Cyrus was emergently transported to the University of Tennessee, which was no easy task for a guy who was injured and super feral. He’s a “no touch” pig. He received immediate evaluation and pain meds, and he was sedated for imaging to determine the extent of the damage. The doctor called with difficult news: his injuries were severe, and the situation wasn’t something that could be repaired in a way that would be humane, especially given the limitations of immobilization and Cyrus’ intense fear of human interaction. In the end, our kindest option was to euthanize him.
When we chose Cyrus’ name, it was partly because we love the song by Dave Matthews titled “Gravedigger.” We used to sing it to Cyrus from afar as it was the only way he’d allow us to show him any attention. The lyric ends with the idea that Cyrus Jones lived forever, and in so many ways, that feels true.
Cyrus had a full life here: wide open spaces, deep friendships, and the freedom to be exactly who he was. We work tirelessly here for safety…for the animals and the humans who care for them. Our constant focus is animal care. Unfortunate accidents like this help us identify more safety measures we can implement. Even though we couldn’t fix him, Cyrus still had all we could offer in terms of medical care.
Cyrus will truly live on in our hearts forever.