Kunekune
Kunekunes at the Hamilton Zoo
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| Conservation status | Rare |
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| Country of origin | New Zealand |
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The kunekune /ˈkuːnɪkuːnɪ/,/ˈkuːnɛkuːnɛ/ is a small breed of domestic pig from New Zealand. Kunekune are hairy, with a rotund build and may bear wattles (or piri piri) hanging from their lower jaws. Their colour ranges from black and white, to ginger, cream, gold-tip, black, brown and tricoloured. They have a docile, friendly nature, and – like the pot-bellied pig – are now often kept as pets.
The kunekune 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: the word kunekune means "fat and round" in the Māori language.
By the 1980s, only an estimated 50 purebred kunekune remained. Michael Willis and John Simister, wildlife-park owners, started a breeding recovery program, which in turn encouraged other recovery efforts. As of 2010[update], 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.
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