Latest fromAnimal Science

The (native) bird catchers
Eighty native birds have been caught on Little Barrier Island and delivered to a new wildlife reserve in the Hauraki Gulf.

Pre-historic NZ sea lion discovered
Scientists have discovered a pre-historic mainland species of sea lion thought to have been wiped out by Polynesian settlers and replaced by the modern NZ sea lion.

Moa and kiwi not so close - study
A new study has put even more genetic distance between the extinct moa and their old bush mates, the kiwi, but found similarities with a South American bird.

Sheepskin science to bust low value reputation
A research breakthrough could net our economy $125 million each year by combining cutting-edge technology with something New Zealand famously has in abundance - sheep.

Talk to the Animals: Animal testing causes 'severe suffering' in NZ (+graphic)
In NZ animals are afforded basic rights - including freedom and suffering. Except the 3 million made to take part in experiments, writes Sally Hibbard.

Could polar bears help cure obesity?
Polar bears may hold the answer to the obesity crisis in their genes, new research has shown.

One life saved
A critically ill baby kakapo has been nursed back to health at Auckland Zoo. "Heather One", one of only six kakapo bred this season, was 10 days old and severely underweight when she was found on Little Barrier Island in late March.

Warning after wild kiwi killed by dog
A dog has killed a male kiwi that was living in the wild just north of Wellington.

Animal lovers' red-letter year
Defenders of dogs, cats and rats are starting to feel that this could be their year. They've joined forces to make animal welfare an election issue for the first time.

Scientist drills into sea riddle
A scientist is stepping back in time to solve the mystery behind a dramatic drop in the world's most threatened species of sea lion.

Navy protect precious kiwi
Members of New Zealand's navy were tasked with protecting nine very precious kiwi this week.

Brian Rudman: Whales may be safe but let's not forget all the fish
Murray McCully is warning against indulging in "triumphalism". He fears that if we denigrate the Japanese, this will hurt their national pride, writes Brian Rudman.

Riches in snapper snapshot
Scientists have used an underwater camera to count large snapper in Hauraki Gulf marine reserves.

We should love great whites
For the past 15 years, a Kiwi marine explorer has been tracking great white sharks around the world, helping answer one of the biggest questions concerning great whites — their home range.

Grassroots war on pests
Everyday Kiwis could be recruited to help save New Zealand from a swarm of pests costing our economy billions and ravaging our cherished biodiversity, a new report suggests.

Dogs' sense of smell signals love for owners
The familiar scent of its owner lingers like perfume in a dog's brain, US scientists claim.

Marine life better protected
Kaikoura's world-renowned wild marine environment will be better protected by a new marine reserve.

New marine reserves: Protecting paradise
There's no signpost to say you're nearing New Zealand's subantarctic islands, but a welcome that's a little more dramatic.

Pigging out proves profitable
How do you stop truckloads of unsaleable food from going to the dump - and turn it into something useful? Put a few thousand piggies in the middle.

Secrets of a Trojan female
Using advances in genetic science, a small research team are testing whether it is possible to make an evolutionary loophole work to the advantage of pest control.

Agent 007 crow cracks his meaty problem
They call him 007 because he gets the job done - and for this feathered little thinker, doing so was quite the task.

Out of the office, off to work
Mark Orams will research mammals on the Blake expedition to the Auckland Islands.

The lost Islands
In his last months, Sir Peter Blake spoke of something alarming happening in his familiar Southern Ocean.

Explorer above and below waves
The final portion has been raised to build oceanographer Jacques Rougerie's gigantic, solar-powered, floating aquatic observation vessel.

Killer horse virus source likely to remain mystery
The Ministry for Primary Industries says it may never know the origin of a neurological strain of equine herpes which has so far killed seven thoroughbred horses.

Family pet poisoned by flea treatment
It was a routine flea treatment, his family thought. But it was nearly a case of kitty-cide for Dexter who had a bad reaction to the product - which was for dogs.