Kunekune
Breed of pig
- 2 min read
- 4 chapters
Related on Lably
Through Australia
History
The breed is believed to have descended from an Asian domestic breed introduced to New Zealand in the early 19th century by whalers or traders. They differ markedly from the feral pig of European origin known in New Zealand as a "Captain Cooker". The native Māori people of New Zealand adopted Kunekune; kunekune is a Māori word meaning 'fat and round'.
By the 1980s, only an estimated 50 purebred Kunekune remained. Michael Willis and John Simister, wildlife park owners, started a breeding recovery programme, which encouraged other recovery efforts. As of 2010, the breed no longer faces extinction, with breed societies in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In 1993, two were imported into the United States from the UK.
Sign in to keep reading
3 more chapters are free with a Lably account.
Behaviour
In 2017, a report of Science Daily said the Kunekune has remarkable social learning with "astonishingly good memory".
Appearance
The Kunekune is covered in hair which can be long or short, and straight or curly. Hair colours include black, brown, ginger, gold, cream, and spotted combinations. It has a medium to short, slightly upturned snout, often black, and either semilopped or pricked ears. It has a short, round body with short legs and may have two wattles (called piri piri) under its chin. The Kunekune stands about 60 cm (24 in) tall. An adult Kunekune male can weigh between 90 and 136 kg (198 and 300 lb), with females typically weighing between 54 and 90 kg (119 and 198 lb).
As pets
Kunekune can be kept as pets in New Zealand and are a recognised breed of miniature pig.
Kunekune cannot be imported into Australia, as Australia does not allow the import of live pigs for biosecurity reasons. However, breeders have created an alternative Australian breed: the Australian miniature pig.