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Kangaroo Island Baudin Pig

In January 1803 French explorer Nichols Baudin released a pair of pigs; a boar and a sow at Nepean Bay on Kangaroo Island with the intent that the progeny of these pigs would be there to harvest by future sailors to replenish their meat stores. For more than 200 years these pigs have survived in genetic isolation and evolved into a unique strain of their own.

Their breeding pattern seems to be a bit erratic but in saying this a lot of litters are produced in the Spring. Litter sizes vary a lot ranging from 2 to 11 piglets. Like the breeding pattern it is likely effected by the environmental and nutritional conditions leading up to mating and during early pregnancy. They are highly intelligent like other pig breeds and adapt well if captured and kept in a domesticated pig environment.

This strain does not exist any where else in the world. Their colour can be either black, or white patched with black, and have dense medium length coarse bristly hair with a soft downy under coat which provides insulation from the elements. They have a ridge of longer bristles that run from the top of their forehead, along the top of the neck to about half way along their back. These bristles are raised when the pig is excited, this line of hair is where the term Razorback derives from. They are disease free, naturally small, with sows weighing +/45kg,and measuring 65cm or less in height and length of 110cm (measured from tip of snout to base of tale). Boars are, proportionately, slightly larger .

Kangaroo Island Baudin Piglet Photo Gallery

    Initially because of their small size the Kangaroo Island Baudin Pig was specifically sought out by medical researchers for laboratory research purposes. Since first arriving in the laboratories, there has been a significant amount of research done on these pigs. They are favored for biomedical research over other pig breeds as they have novel swine leukocyte antigen class 1 alleles. Their unique alleles are significant, over the regular alleles of other pigs, when testing anti-rejection drugs for potential use in human organ transplants. They also have a higher erythrocyte count and PCV than the equivalent Large White pig, and a lower white blood cell count. These pigs are also used in diabetes research as well.

    Despite the fact that the Kangaroo Island Baudin Pigs' ancestors were said to be of British decent, mitochondria DNA testing has linked them to Asian pigs rather than European pig breeds. Further to this; research by William Marshall of the Rare breeds Farm has discovered that the original 2 pigs released by Baudin were in fact of South African decent and not English as first believed. The pigs on the first fleet to Australia were, like the other livestock, loaded in the Cape in South Africa. The breed of pig loaded was the Windsnyer, which had been bred in South Africa for at least a hundred years prior to any voyage coming to Australia. The Windsnyer is believed to be an ancient breed of Egyptian decent. The Windsnyer would have made at least part of it's journey to South Africa on board trading vessels sailing along the African coast, and again would have been on board as ration animals. Evidence of domesticated pigs in Egypt date back around six thousand years. These pigs were small, predominantly Black with long slender legs, flat bodies, twisted tails, long heads with short erect ears. They also had a ridge of bristles along the top of the neck and back. This description accurately describes both the Windsnyer and the Kangaroo Island Baudin Pig. Nicolas Baudin arrived in Australia depleted of rations and sailed to Sydney to replenish supplies before commencing his mapping of Kangaroo Island.The pigs Baudin loaded in Sydney were Windsnyer, as they were the only breed in the country at that stage. From the humble beginnings of just one pair of pigs being left on Kangaroo Island in genetic isolation for 200 years a morphologically homogeneous strain of pig has evolved. Having such a range of unique genetic traits and medical differences these pigs arguably are at least a subspecies if not a separate species in their own right and given a scientific or taxonomy name. Perhaps; Sus Scrofa Kangaroo Island? The name 'Kangaroo Island Baudin Pig' denotes it's location of evolution and acknowledges Nicolas Baudin for releasing the pigs.

    Kangaroo Island Baudin Pig Photo Gallery

      In certain areas of Kangaroo Island domesticated pigs were intentionally released and crossed with the indigenous Baudin strain to produce bigger faster growing pigs which were then captured and sold in the markets on the main land. This was quite a lucrative business for a number of years. Despite this, there was still one isolated herd of pure KI Baudin pigs in the Flinders Chase National Park. DNA studies from the various populations of pigs in the wild on Kangaroo Island re affirmed the genetic isolation of the pigs in the Flinders Chase National Park. Unfortunately the bush fires in December 2007 destroyed the last herd that was in the National Park. Fortunately Will's Rare Breeds Farm had managed to get 3 boars and 1 sow from the park in September 2007. This was well short of the number that was in the original conservation plan. But we are thankful to have been fortunate enough to have at least salvaged some. Sadly the pure strain of the Kangaroo Island Baudin pig is now believed to be extinct in the wild.At Will's Rare Breeds Farm we are running an on going breeding program to conserve the last of the gene pool of this significant, and historic pig to ensure its' continued survival. Many things still need to be done such as collection and storage of DNA samples for potential use in cloning if required in the future, Semen collection and freezing for long term storage as a back up reserve and much more research. As these pigs have been so successful in bio medical research for testing anti rejection drugs for use in organ transplants in humans, these pigs have helped save, improve the quality of and prolong the lives of many thousands of people.

      Now more than ever we need to return the favour and help save these unique pigs from extinction. Please help to support this project with a donation.