Eli was the biggest pig at Odd Man Inn, weighing in at 960 pounds. He was a super gentle “North Carolina Boy” with a huge smiling face and a distinctive ear that resembled bad-boy bangs. He lived in theFeral Neighborhood withBig Boss Charity and some of his favorite huge family members, including Jedediah. Eli loved relaxing in his swamp, napping in his daybed, and grazing in his pasture in the late afternoon sun.
The “North Carolina Boys” were a group of very rare survivors from the flooding of Hurricane Florence in 2018. When the Category 4 storm caused torrential rain and flooding, factory farmed pigs were locked in the barns to drown. These boys were swept out of their prisons by the flood waters, and eleven of them were sent to live here in Tennessee. Factory farmed males are bred to grow very quickly and are typically slaughtered at 250-300 pounds. Sadly, growing into maturity causes many problems for these Yorkshires, predominantly arthritis.
We did our very best to help Eli enjoy the things he loved best. Family. Food. Comfort. It’s no different in any species. We want our final days to be as pleasant as possible. Eli had worsening mobility issues for quite a while, and there’s just no fix for giant aging bodies.
Eli passed at home, in the pasture he grazed in every day, with his caregivers by his side.
It was an honor to have known Eli and cared for him in his final years. He will be missed by all of us, including his surviving brothers, Ennis, Asher, Everett and Harlan.