Many students’ pets are often seen walking around campus, but there is one that chooses to waddle.
Quacktavious is a duck seen around the Mississippi State University campus, taking most of his strolls on the Drill Field and Union Plaza.
The adventurous duck does not go on his outings alone. Quacktavious’ caretaker, sophomore Jeremy Jackson from Saltillo, Mississippi, spent his freshman year at MSU leading them to their campus walks. 
“I was just like, ‘you know what? Since I’m going to be out, I don’t have anything to do, why not?’ Progressively at first, I’d just hold him, and then I’d walk around the Drill Field and let him go,” Jackson said. 
Jackson met Quacktavious in March. He came up with the idea to get a duck as a pet, and so he made his way to the Starkville Tractor Supply Co., changing his and a little duckling’s life forever.
This month, Quacktavious traveled across the country, visiting places such as Las Vegas, Oklahoma City and many others with his last destination being the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, where Jackson transferred for his sophomore year to be among other ducks.
According to Jackson, the University of Oregon has been his dream school since he was a child. The moment he saw the opportunity to attend, he took it.
Within their first days in Oregon, Jackson and Quacktavious attended the Oregon versus Colorado football game, where Oregon came out victorious. He and the duck watched from the stands, enjoying the game and turning heads. 
With a new journey ahead of him, Quacktavious has many exciting moments to look back on from his time in Starkville.
Quacktavious’ wanderings led him to meet a few of the university’s administration, including president Mark Keenum and vice president for student affairs Regina Hyatt. Hyatt found out about the duck through social media, like many others, and jumped at the opportunity to meet him.
“I’m probably less surprised than other people because students have all kinds of animals. I guess I was more surprised by how Quacktavious was very comfortable being handled,” Hyatt said.
Quacktavious spent most of his duckling days around college students. He was constantly held by Jackson and his friends. When he was not being held, he followed closely behind Jackson and many other passersby he took interest in.
Sometimes, Quacktavious would get into mischief. Jackson has caught him running off into bushes or to anyone he may have taken a sudden liking to.
“He had this thing where like, any woman who gave him attention, he would just start following them, and I’m like, ‘hey, bro, you got to chill. I understand you’re trying to be a ladies’ man, but you got to chill,’” Jackson said.
Anna Lockhart, a sophomore psychology major and friend of Jackson, spent a lot of time with Quacktavious during his time at MSU. She went on many adventures with the duck in Starkville to get snow cones, Starbucks and Cook Out.
“I get separation anxiety from that duck. Like seriously,” Lockhart said. “I could not go without seeing him, and now he’s gone, so obviously I’ve had to.”
The pair will not be gone for good. Despite moving to Oregon, Jackson will return to his home state of Mississippi to visit.
Jackson and his duck plan to continue their adventures as time goes on, and Quacktavious is far from waddling away from the spotlight.
“He’s the duck of the people, I’m the man of the duck. So, who am I to deny the people,” Jackson said. “It’s just been a fun experience. He’s enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed it. And seems like everyone else is enjoying it. That’s all I can ask for.”