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Adopt an Animal!
Are you an ardent animal lover? looking for a gift idea?
Why not adopt an animal from either Edinburgh Zoo or Highland Wildlife Park for a whole year!
| Common Name: | Kune Kune pigs | Family: | Suidae |
| Latin Name: | Sus scrofa scrofa kunekune | Diet: | Herbivore |
| Type: | Mammal | Habitat: | Grasslands |
| Native To: | Australasia | Social Unit: | Group |
| IUCN Red List Status: | N/A |
Kune Kune pigs at Edinburgh Zoo
Here at Edinburgh Zoo we have three Kune Kune pigs, two males named Gilbert and Sullivan and a female called Audrey – they are brothers and sister and were born in March 2005. They arrived here in July 2005 from Pig Paradise in Staffordshire. All three are “stars” in our Hilltop Animal Antics sessions where they show off their skills, good nature and love of attention. All three love to eat carrots, apples and peppers, but each pig has its individual personality – with Sullivan being the dominant one. They live up on the top of the Zoo hill in their paddock next to the Animal Antics stage.
Kune Kune pigs in the wild
Kune Kune pigs (Sus scrofa scrofa kunekune) are found living in the grasslands and bush of New Zealand. Their name is pronounced cooney cooney, which means 'fat and round' in Maori.
These pigs did not originate from New Zealand, but it is not known exactly how they got there. Many believe that they are descendants of Asian pigs which were introduced to New Zealand by colonists and whalers who had them on their boats.
Kune Kune pigs come in many different colours and patterns, they are very hairy, have strong, muscular bodies and a flexible snout which they use to uproot food and move obstacles. They also grow small tusks which are larger in males than in females. In hot weather, Kune Kune pigs love to wallow in mud holes which keep their temperature down and protect them from sun stroke.
Although they will eat fruit, vegetables and scraps, Kune Kune pigs can live quite happily on grass alone. The Maori people farmed these pigs not only for their ability to live on a limited diet and produce good meat, but also because of their placid nature, love of human contact and their inclination not to wander.
After a gestation period of approximately three months the adult female gives birth to between three to ten piglets. The lifespan of the Kune Kune pig is approximately fifteen years.
Due to hunting for meat and breeding with domestic swine, Kune Kune pigs were in grave danger of extinction until the 1970’s when two wildlife rangers caught as many wild pigs as they could and started a breeding programme on the South Island of New Zealand. The purpose was to increase the population and keep the bloodlines pure so as many pigs as possible could be reintroduced to the wild where they could once again thrive – thankfully it worked and there is now a healthy population in the bush and grasslands of New Zealand.
Adopt a Kune Kune pig A great way to support RZSS – buy it for yourself or as a gift for the animal lover in your life!
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