KuneKune by Chrissy

During our first week of our New Zealand study abroad, the university was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to go to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch. The reserve features all sorts of animals (about 95 in total) that are placed into three categories: Exotics, Heritage Farmyard, and New Zealand’s natives. In the Heritage Farmyard category, typical farm animals from the area were featured including llamas, a Clydesdale, and the KuneKune pigs.


 The KuneKune pig was first introduced into New Zealand by Chinese sailors in the early 19th century by traders to provide fresh meat to shipwrecked sailors and to trade with the Maori. Due to constant crossbreeding of the KuneKune with other domesticated breeds, the purebred pigs started to go extinct around the 1920s. The founder of Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, Michael Willis, opened Willowbank in 1924 with the last 50 KuneKune pigs in existence in an effort to save the population. The KuneKune were able to completely repopulate, and were even brought to different parts of the world. All of the KuneKune that exist now are descendants from the original final 50 that Michael saved from extinction. Since his work with the KuneKune was extremely successful, his passion led to the expansion of Willowbank and conservation for other endangered species including the kea and kiwi birds. 


The KuneKune is an excellent breed to have on farms because they graze like sheep and cattle instead of rooting like traditional pigs. When I spoke to Laura, our tour guide at Willowbank, she described that pigs rooting can be extremely harmful if in the incorrect environment, as they can quickly and easily destroy a pasture. Rooting is not considered ideal to a farmer preparing a pasture, garden, or composting, making them suitable for farms.


I learned that the KuneKune are also extremely intelligent pigs and can easily be trained. They are able to quickly learn basic tasks such as sitting, and husbandry tasks that are essential for when they go to the veterinarian for vaccines and checkups. Laura described that since they are such large animals it is much easier to have them cooperate if they are able to do most of the “hard work.”

Chrissy and a KuneKune Pig

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