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Kunekune pig

Let's learn

The kunekune pig (pronounced ‘cooney cooney’) is a friendly little pig from New Zealand. Its placid nature and love of humans make it a favourite with pig breeders. Kunekunes come in a range of colours, including cream, ginger, brown, black and spotted. They can have either pricked or lopped ears.

Although originally kept by Maoris in New Zealand, the kunekune pig is not native to the country and may have descended from an Asian domestic breed of pig brought there by whalers and traders in the 19th Century.

The kunekune came close to extinction in New Zealand in the 1970s. Thanks to the efforts of 2 New Zealand wildlife park owners, the pigs have since recovered their numbers and are now popular in both New Zealand and here in Britain.

Conservation status | Not evaluated

Fact Sheet

Scientific name

Sus scrofa domesticus

Family

Suidae

Order

Artiodactyla

Lifespan

About 12 to 15 years when kept as pets

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