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Story: Introduced animal pests

Kiore stowaways

Video file

The kiore or Pacific rat arrived either as a stowaway or by intention. This video clip shows a re-enactment of Polynesians loading a double-hulled canoe in preparation for the voyage that took them to New Zealand.

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Natural History New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Bob Brockie, Introduced animal pests – Rats and mice, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/10120/kiore-stowaways (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Bob Brockie, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 July 2015.