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Story: Kurī – Polynesian dogs

Ruakurī cave

Ruakurī cave

The cave known as Ruakurī (den of dogs) at Waitomo is named from a time when it was inhabited by wild kurī. They attacked a local fowler who with his companions trapped and killed the dogs.

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Waitomo Glowworm Caves

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How to cite this page

Basil Keane, Kurī – Polynesian dogs – Uses of kurī, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/16238/ruakuri-cave (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 1 March 2009.

Comments

Lynleigh
04 September 2012
Hey, great info and weird dog huh :) ? Really looks like theirs something wrong with it, or it looks like it could be part human or something. Yeah and the sound it makes(auau) kind of sounds the same as when you put your ear to a shell and listen to the inside. I wonder what the thing was with that lake stuff?