Kunekunes, although known as New Zealand Kunekunes probably originated from the Polynesian Islands.


They were thought to have taken to New Zealand on boats by the Polynesians as they would have been fattened and then survived the journey with only little food and still maintaining a reasonable size by the time they arrived in New Zealand. Kunekunes were prized by the Maoris for their ability to fatten on little more than rough grazing, their disinclination to roam and for their happy and placid nature.


In 1973 two Britons who had heard of these pigs combed New Zealand on their trail and managed to find 18 pigs that they believed were true Kunekunes.


Occasionally, even now, we see very large Kunekunes, quite similar to commercial pigs. These are considered to be genetic “throwbacks” from the crosses of Kunekunes and “Captain Cookers”- the large meat pigs that Captain Cook took to the Island.
With these 18 pigs they started a breeding program and eventually in 1992 the first Kunekunes arrived in Europe, England. The British KuneKune Pigs Society was formed in 1993. Since then Kunekunes have never looked back and there are now a healthy number of breeding stock registered in Britain.


It would take until somewhere in the very beginning of the 21st century before the first registered Kunekunes would arrive on the European continent, first in The Netherlands and then some in Germany, Austria, France and Belgium.


There are four boar bloodlines: Tutaki, Te Whangi, Ru and Andrew. There are six sow bloodlines: Jenny, Rebecca Gina, Sally, Kereopa, Awakino and Trish. There used to be asd well a female Tammerdale line. This last one has died out, probably due to the fact that this line had breeding problems.

(most of the text above is based upon the work written by Wendy Scudamore from Barton Hill UK, see links).

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Mini Pigs

In the 1960’s, in Europe, the question for a smaller type of pig arose for the benefit of the biomedical science.  Unfortunately for the pigs themselves, their skin and organs show a lot of similarities with those of us humans.

As a result of this demand the laboratory mini pig was created/bred by several universities in countries such as Germany, Denmark, the U.S. and Japan.

One of the most influencial breeds with which they bred this new breed, used to be the Vietnamese potbelly pigs.

Throughout these experiments scientists created several different mixes of mini pigs, e.g. the Göttinger mini pig & the Munich miniature pig troll.

Some of these different kinds of pigs got lucky by turning up in Animal Parks and also by being privately owned by hobbyists. So that’s how nowadays the pigs lovers can enjoy these little funny creatures too, pretty wide spread.