Current Wild Boar records are as follows:

About Feral Pigs

Pigs were introduced to New Zealand as early as 1769 by the French explorer Jean Francois Marie de Suville. A year later, Captain James Cook further brought more pigs with him, gifting some animals to local Maori that were then bred. These pigs occasionally escaped to form the wild pig populations that we have today

Feral pigs are generally smaller than domestic pigs with more muscular bodies and males especially having massive forequarters and smaller hindquarters. Males stand nearly 1000 mm at the shoulder and can weigh as much as 45 – 205 kg with females smaller at 600 mm high and weighing up to 114 kg.

Pigs are most commonly black but there is considerable local variation in colour with ginger, sandy brown, white, grey and smoky blue, or combinations of these colours.

Tusks extend out from the lower jaw and curve upwards, outward and backwards. Triangular in cross section the tusks can protrude 150 mm plus.

Pigs are mainly active in daylight although where subjected to hunting pressure may become more nocturnal or restrict their activity to early morning and late afternoon. Relatively sedentary feral pigs, where food, water and cover are suitable, will occupy home range areas in mobs of both sexes. Females with litters and older males will often live alone.

Feral pigs are omnivorous, eating a wide variety of food including grasses, roots, seeds and other plant material as well as carrion, earthworms and insects.

Feral pigs breed throughout the year with main time spring and summer, the gestation period is about 112-114. Litter size is 6-10 piglets with survival likely to be 3-6. Newborn piglets stay within or near the nest for first 2-3 weeks, weaning occurs at 2-4 months and young pigs stay with the sow until the next litter is due.