Two round Kunekune pigs, one ginger and one black-and-white, standing on straw. — Photo: 1RingFB, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kunekune Pig

Sus scrofa domesticus

A small, round, short-snouted pig breed kept by the Maori people of New Zealand, often with two tassels hanging from its chin.

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About the Kunekune Pig

Kunekune (say "cooney cooney") pigs have short legs, short snouts and very round bodies. They weigh 120 to 240 pounds and come in many colors, from black to gold to cream, sometimes spotted. Many have two tassels called piri piri hanging from the lower jaw. The breed has been kept for a very long time by the Maori people of New Zealand.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Sus scrofa domesticus^[1]
Size: Up to 30 inches long.^[1]
Weight: 120 to 240 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: About 15 years.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Grass, hay, plants, produce and grain.^[1]
Where it lives: New Zealand; now found in many countries.^[1]
Babies: Pregnancy lasts about 116 days. Usually six to eight piglets.^[1]

Fun facts

"Kunekune" means "fat and round" in the Maori language.^[1]
The tassels on a Kunekune's chin are called piri piri.^[1]
The whole breed was rebuilt from just nine pigs in the late 1970s.^[1]

Vocabulary

domesticated: Tamed and raised by people over many generations.
breed: A group of domestic animals that people have raised to share certain traits.
sow / boar: Names for an adult female (sow) and adult male (boar) pig.
Maori: The Indigenous people of New Zealand.
feral: A domestic animal that has gone back to living in the wild.

See it in person

Zoo AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia · All AnimalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · MammalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Zoo Atlanta. “Kunekune Pig.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/kunekune-pig/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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