Spiders presented such a great danger to humans during the early evolutionary stages that a fear of the species became part of our DNA.

NZ is home to tens of thousands of endemic plant, animal, insect and marine species. Jamie Morton looks at 10 new finds.

Dog breeders should be subject to comprehensive regulations, writes Kerre McIvor.

Holidaymakers at Papamoa Beach yesterday cleared the water after a 2.5m bronze whaler entered the shallows.

Two bouncy, wriggly beagle puppies will be spending their first Easter as trainee biosecurity detector dogs. Brother and sister Charleston and Roxy are only 10 weeks old but are already two weeks into their Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) training programme.

A small songbird no bigger than a sparrow flies up to 2770km over open ocean in what has been described as one of the "most extraordinary migratory feats on the planet".

Eight years after Knut drew millions of visitors to Berlin Zoo, the polar bear's baby brother has been christened at a zoo in the north-eastern German town of Rostock.

The Government has relented to a campaign to ban animal trials for the second time in a year, this time within the cosmetics industry.

Half the 7375 dogs impounded in Auckland were destroyed in 2013-14 after being unclaimed by their owners and deemed unsuitable for adoption.

A funeral for a woman in Mexico took an unexpected turn when stray dogs unexpectedly showed up to pay their respects.

A hunter had to be airlifted to hospital yesterday after he was attacked by a swarm of angry bees in the Bell Hill area.

With the full name of Abergavenny Sunny, and a pedigree status as a seal tabby Birman, Sunny the cat is a creature of some dignity and grace.

One-year-old red panda Khusi was transferred from Hamilton Zoo, and arrived in the capital on Tuesday.

He is 12 weeks old, 7cm tall and weighs just 300g. Meet tiny Toudi who is believed to be the world's smallest Chihuahua.

Wrapped in a furry cream blanket with a pink silk trim, Anubis the cheetah lies in a large green sling and is carried into the Auckland Zoo vet surgery by seven zoo staff.

From just plain weird to outright dangerous, going beyond a healthy enthusiasm for pets and animals brings some interesting results.

The northern white rhino is heading the way of the dinosaurs. With only five left on Earth extinction is now inevitable.

Two new dogs have joined the team at border control to help prevent the spread of the Queensland fruit fly. They join a growing team of canines around Auckland in charge of pest control. Michael Craig captured some of them in action.

A family dog reportedly stabbed during a burglary was actually injured while fighting another dog, police say.

An unusual white-coloured kingfisher is on the mend after headbutting the window of a Whangarei home by mistake.

Authorities are investigating a photo of thin jersey cows being transported across Cook Strait to slaughter, which caused outrage after being shared on Facebook.

Follow Anjalee's journey to Niue, where she will be quarantined for a 90-day period, in photos.

8-year-old Asian elephant Anjalee is en route to Auckland where she will join the zoo's 32-year-old resident elephant Burma.

A powerful parental instinct kicked in and without a thought for my own safety I shoved my inner thigh into the monster's fangs, writes Matt Heath.

A filter-feeding ''lobster'' as big as a human took the place of whales 480 million years ago, a new fossil find has shown.

Animal behaviour expert Sally Hibbard investigates dog attacks and delves in to the debate of nature versus nurture.

The genteel world of Crufts has been rocked by a murder mystery which has seen one dog apparently killed and two others taken ill in suspected poisonings.