Arapawa Island
The exact origin of
the feral pigs of Arapawa Island in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, is
not known, and has given rise to much speculation. It has been suggested that
they are descendants of animals released in the Marlborough Sounds area by
James Cook in 1773 and 1777. A far more likely explanation is that they were
introduced by whalers and early farmers on Arapawa Island during the middle
of the nineteenth century, as no feral livestock was seen on Arapawa Island
by visitors who described the island in some detail in the late 1830s. The
breed has remained pure and roamed parts of the island every since. The wild
pigs have stories of ferocity, but first hand encounters reveal they have
more or a "leave us alone and we'll leave you alone" attiude to humans.
They are similar to the original Oxford
Sandy-and-Black or the unimproved Berkshires and Tamworths.
-
- Several attempts were made over the years to catch some of the pigs, but
until the late 1990s there were only a few adults on the mainland of New
Zealand, and they were critically endangered on Arapawa Island itself. Then
in 1998 four healthy piglets were recovered from the Island and these have
been successfully bred from, although numbers over-all are still critical.
Arapawa pigs are somewhat larger than some other New Zealand feral pigs
and many are an attractive tan with black patches. However, other colours
also occur, including pure black.
Reference:
Porter, Valerie, 1993, Pigs - A Handbook to the Breeds of the World,
Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York, pp 256
Betty Rowe, Picton, New Zealand
Photographs:
Betty Rowe, Picton, New Zealand
Added February 24, 1997
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