After a one-year pause, there is new Kunekune piglet life in Hellabrunn Zoo’s Mill Village. According to the zoo’s announcement earlier this week, sow Xippe gave birth to six piglets at the end of August. The young pigs are now lively and exploring both the barn and the outdoor enclosure. The excitement doesn’t end there: sow Frieda is also pregnant.
In late April, Hellabrunn temporarily took in a Kunekune boar with the hope of encouraging offspring for this rare pig breed. Lena Bockreiß, biologist and curator responsible for the Mill Village, expressed her delight: “With this litter, we are celebrating Kunekune piglets for the fourth time—an especially joyful event for this unique breed.”
Kunekune Pigs Once Threatened with Extinction
Verena Dietl, Munich’s third mayor (SPD) and Chairwoman of the Zoo’s Supervisory Board, also welcomed the news. “The successful breeding of Kunekune pigs highlights Hellabrunn’s crucial role in preserving rare domestic animal breeds,” she said. She added that the pigs in the Mill Village provide visitors with a wonderful opportunity to understand the importance of biodiversity and sustainable livestock management.
Originally from New Zealand, Kunekune pigs were kept by the Māori, the country’s indigenous people. The breed was rediscovered in the 1970s, when only about 18 animals remained. Conservation breeding programs were established, and Hellabrunn Zoo has been actively and successfully participating in this effort since 2018.
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