It is considered that Māori people were the first inhabitants that came to New Zealand in the 12th century. Their language, tradition and culture have a major impact on the overall life in New Zealand today. Māori culture is characterized by a long tradition, and its numerous myths have become an integral part of New Zealand society. Māori culture is rich in legends about the beginning of the world and how it developed. Animal play an integral part in most of them. Traces of their relationship can be found in the Māori lineage system (whakapapa) and in their stories, poems and proverbs. Along with frequent comparisons of people with individual animals, Māori tradition also includes the belief that ancestors have the power to transform themselves into animals, which are then considered to be messengers, carers, and friends. The traditional human understanding of man's relationship with animals has been recorded in numerous myths and stories, but contemporary interpretations of this relationship have often been changed and filtered under the influence of European settlers. In this paper, we will get acquainted with the Māori people, their moral value system and the most important external influences on their daily life through history, in which, besides the already mentioned animal world, Europeans played an important part as well. Although Europeans are an important factor in the modern life of Māori, the influence of Māori traditions on Western civilization also irrefutable. Through a book A New Zealand Book Of Beasts: Animals in our Culture, History and Everyday Life (2013) written Annie Potts, Philip Armstrong and Deidre Brown, we will get acquainted with the deeply rooted relationship of Māori and animals that have created many foundations of today's society of New Zealand.