Auckland Island pig facts for kids
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
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| Distribution | Auckland Island |
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The Auckland Island pig is a special type of domestic pig that lives in the wild on subantarctic Auckland Island in New Zealand. These pigs are considered a "landrace," which means they are a local kind of animal that has developed over time in a specific area. Their ancestors arrived on the island way back in 1807. Because they are not native to the island, they have had a big impact on its environment.
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How These Pigs Arrived
During the 1700s and 1800s, people from Europe often left domestic pigs on many subantarctic islands. This was done so that if sailors got stranded, or if whalers visited, they would have a source of food. The first pigs were brought to the uninhabited Auckland Island in 1807. More pigs were released in 1840, 1842, and again in the 1890s.
By the end of the 1800s, there was a large and healthy population of pigs on the island. These pigs came from different groups that had been released, and they mixed together. This created a unique local population of pigs that lived mostly undisturbed until the late 1900s.
What Do They Look Like?
The pigs on Auckland Island look and are sized much like the wild pigs found on the main islands of New Zealand. They have thick coats of hair. Their fur can be black, or white or brown with black spots.
These pigs also have long, narrow heads and snouts, and straight tails. They are fairly small but very athletic. An adult male pig, called a boar, weighs about 41.7 kilograms (about 92 pounds) on average. An adult female pig, called a sow, weighs about 37.3 kilograms (about 82 pounds) on average.
Their Unique Genes
The Auckland Island pig population has less genetic variety compared to many other pig breeds found in Europe and Asia. These pigs are quite healthy and free from many common diseases. Because of this, a special group of them has been raised. These pigs are used as a source of cells for important medical research.
Where Do They Live and What Do They Eat?
By the late 1900s, a large number of pigs lived all over Auckland Island. There were about the same number of male and female pigs. In the summer, the pigs live in both the coastal forests and the high, open parts of the island. However, during the winter, most of the pigs move to the coastal forests and stay out of the open areas.
The pigs have a simple diet, mostly eating plants. In the high country, they eat many different kinds of plants and earthworms. Pigs living near the coast also eat a wide variety of plants. But their diet also includes tree bark, small creatures without backbones, and even the remains of dead birds and sea lions. They also eat food that sea lions have thrown up.
How They Affect the Island
The pigs have caused a lot of damage to the island's plants. However, some groups of plants like Pleurophyllum, Stilbocarpa, and Anisotome are relatively safe. This is because they grow on cliffs where the pigs cannot reach them. After many plant food sources were eaten, the pig population on Auckland Island has stayed fairly low.
These wild pigs have also had a negative impact on other wildlife on the island. They dig up bird burrows to steal eggs from birds like petrels, albatrosses, mollymawks, penguins, and shags.
Protecting These Pigs
New Zealand's Department of Conservation decided that animals not native to the Auckland Islands should be removed. This was part of a plan to help the island's natural environment recover. Because of this, the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand (RBCSNZ) decided to try and save some of these pigs by keeping them in a safe place.
In 1999, an expedition by the RBCSNZ caught 17 pigs, including some pregnant females, and moved them from Auckland Island. They were taken to Invercargill, New Zealand. These pigs have successfully had babies, and now this unique type of pig is no longer in danger of disappearing.
